Blog Ten 20 April 2009

postmodernism was todays focus in all aspects. What was discussed ranged from the historical models for Postmodernism, and its stages, to New Wave typography. I got a lot out of the documentary that was shown in today's class, it illuminated to the face the Post Modernism began as an architectural movement, that rejected the essentialist and foundational concepts. It examines the various cultural codes that govern our understanding of ourselves and our places, belongings, values, and anything else dear to us. It focused on knowledge and using language as a means to get to and achieve knowledge. Though it began with architecture it has managed to transcend through the other art mediums. The part of this lecture that grasped me the most, and which i thought directly related to me as a designer, which i could learn to implement, was new wave typography. It was established by Wolfgang Weingart, who experimented with different arrangements of types, and fragmenting the rules. Basically deconstructing typography. He completely strayed away from the traditional Swiss typography by mixing a multitude of typefaces and weights or reversing type. I feel that is was a great moment in typography because one has to try all alternatives of experimentation before they can create something great. Another notable new wave typographer was Willi Zuntz, who kept some aspects of swiss type. He kept more control of his type, staying tectonic and modular.