I find it highly ironic that i find an antiques sign in a junk yard and that the type is weathering away, so i had to post this picture of the small town businesses that maybe aren't doing so well in cedar these days.

typophoto

like i have said for the past few days, i am focusing on reading some essays on the theories and concepts behind my project. today i revisited the essay that jay gave us recently in class, typophoto.

i had many thoughts on this essay when i initially read it because of a book i read in jeremias' digital photography class (on being a photographer- those of you who have been in that class will know what i am talking about) and a paper i wrote a couple years ago based on a few theories and subjects the authors approach in that book.

first, does 'photography' in moholy-nagy's essay include forms of illustration? or is he talking about photography specifically? i have to wonder if moholy-nagy believes that a typophoto is the most clear form of communication because he views photography as inherently truthful. if that is the case, then i disagree with his theory.

however, if he believes typophoto to be the most clear form of communication because the combination of image (whether the image represents reality or not) and typography is strong in and of itself, then i partially agree.

i look at it as situational: there is a solution to each design problem. what is appropriate for one project is not necessarily the best solution for every project. for example, typophoto may be the most effective solution. however, another project may best be represented through pure typography- there is something to be said for such simplicity.

either way, if someone cares to enlighten me on moholy-nagy's beliefs regarding photography, that would be grrreat. here are my notes on this (an enlightening quote about photography is on page 2):





and here is something cool i made yesterday.



also a photo i am currently obsessed with.



i like to share what i have been looking at and what inspires me in hopes that maybe it will be able to inspire you as well.

have a great weekend everyone!

Mexican Anyone? (Day 11)

Just thought that since it was so cold today that maybe someone would need a number to call for some wood. You all can thank me later.

Finding great Cedar sunsets and trying to express them through type.

Obelisk

So I think I'm lucky that there are monuments with commemorative historical type on them every ten feet across campus. I found this one on one of the obelisks by the gymnastics building. (Obelisk - noun, a tapering four-sided shaft of stone, usually monolithic and having a pyramidal apex.)

Anyway I've found a lot of type that's meant to last but I'm having trouble coming up with a way to integrate that into my three panel project. If anyone has some suggestions holla at your boy. (Holla at your boy - imperative statement, an inner city colloquialism that translates to, "If you are so inclined, comment my blog post with something informative and insightful with respect to the project parameters that may serve as some means of inspiration.")

love,
Dan Gill

Who is Stephen Baird?

So far I have heard that Joe and Danelle reads these post...hmmmmm...and who is Stephen Baird? Hi Stephen Baird!

Anyways, This is the old hospital that is suppose to be haunted. I wish I could of shown you photos inside of the building because it is messed up! Laura can support me on that, because she also knows what the inside looks like. It is sad to see building getting destroy by people, but at the same time it also makes older building have more character. Interesting...hmmmmm.

day eleven: N is for negative

Well this 'N' isn't actually for negative, but it is an indicator of something that possibly starts with the letter 'N'.

Anyway, this picture reflects the idea of both using a process of applying type that is often looked down upon & the effectiveness of the lasting mark.

First, spray painted lettering on street sides is often considered a bad thing, like graffiti, even though graffiti is sometimes considered as art. Yet this process was effective in leaving a lasting mark (or partially lasting mark because it does bleed onto the grass, but the 'N' is still recognizable). Second, this yellow painted 'N' was intentionally made to mark a significant spot & was also meant to be communicated to someone(s) specific.

Day 11: The Classics

There are quite a few older resturants in Cedar City. Hermies is a classic 70's resturant. The bubbly letter H looks like a flower power font to me. I really enjoy their sign, it makes the resturant look exciting and fun. It seems like it could have been the high school hangout.

When the lights go out....

Lighting can really make a difference in having your type come across. I noticed that the lights on the sign for "Christensens" were out in some of the letters. If I didn't already know the name of the store, and was viewing it from far away, I wouldn't have any idea what they were trying to read.

Day 11: Jade Gelskey

Day 11: So for today the sign I found was on the Wendys in Cedar. I think that this sign is not as strong as the others I looked at for this 15 day project. I think that the type while similar is not as well done as the others. The type seems a little crowded and the color changes seem a little unnecessary (red & yellow).

I also think the little white stripe (while correlating the sings with Coke) is very weirdly placed. I do not like how it goes through the upper lettering and then super super close to the word "meals" in the bottom. And it also appears that the Coke should be a focal point or at least noticeable and it is neither. And to top it off the "enjoy" at the top looks completely separate from the rest of it.

Basically I probably will not use this one for the project, but at least I got a picture for this blog.

Reading in the park

Took a picture of one of the places I frequent the most in this city and I decided to throw in a little something extra since I didn't actually see anyone reading in the park. I think the park needs to be more bibliophile friendly with more benches, or accessible trees to climb to read in because who wants to sit in the dark pavilion in the shade? But this is about typography. I really like this sign. It's simple, clean and interesting.

day 11

At the same old gas station, I found these two signs. The Chevrolet parts sign is obviously much newer than the Atlas tires sign. Again they are old fashion looking signs. I like the rounded Chevrolet sign at the top that incorporates two different typefaces- scriptand san serif. Again I like the horizontal Atlas sign and the use of the red background and the white lettering make its pop out at you. The use of the red, white and blue (the patriotic colors) on the Atlas sign makes you think of our flag.

abandoned

I drive by this place everyday and it just bothers me that there is never anyone there taking care of it. I like the hidden type in this picture. I think the abandoned shed would like if someone added something new to it. If it had feelings that is. I'm not sure what else to say really. Hopefully as the panels progress, they can speak for themselves with explanation and commentary. Thoughts are always welcome though!

Weathered type again. I don't have much to say about it because its currently one in the morning and the first chance i had to post. I did note that it was interesting that the sign is fairly new and contemporary looking but the application of the type lasted a very short amount of time.