PUBLIC
ADDRESS SYSTEM print version
40 typographic interpretations of historical speeches
Henry Peacock Gallery
PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM
Poster Speeches by 40 Typographers
9 January - 14 February 2004
Preview 8 January 6.30-8.30PM
FL@33 was invited by henry peacock gallery and grafik magazine to contribute
one A2 poster for this exhibition. The final design interprets a speech
by dalai lama addressing the european parliament in october 2001.
exhibition poster 'dalai lama speech' for henry peacock gallery
[ltd. edition 300, numbered] black + pantone 804
HENRY PEACOCK GALLERY [PRESS RELEASE]
exhibitors:
Derek Birdsall (Omnific)
Anthony Burrill
Margaret Calvert
Cathal Connaughton
The Designers Republic
Paul Elliman
Bryan Edmondson (Sea Design)
Susanna Edwards & Martin McGrath
Jonathan Ellery (Browns)
Experimental Jetset
Paul Finn (BBC)
Alan Fletcher
Malcolm Frost
James Goggin (Practise)
Peter van der Gulden (Przewalski)
Fernando Gutiérrez (Pentagram)
David Hillman (Pentagram)
Kim Hiorthøy
Angus Hyland (Pentagram)
FL@33, Agathe Jacquillat + Tomi Vollauschek
Vault 49
Alan Kitching (The Typography Workshop)
Christian Kusters (CHK)
Love
Marcus McCallion
Michael Morrisoe
Morag Myerscough (Studio Myerscough)
Naked Design
Justus Oehler (Pentagram)
Ben Parker & Paul Austin (Made Thought)
Michael C Place (Build)
Kev Rice & Dave Smith (Jeffery Charles Gallery)
David Quay (The Foundry)
Professor Erik Spiekermann (United Designers Network)
Ed Templeton & Hamish Makgill (Red Design)
Chris Turnbull & Steve Johnson (Johnson Turnbull)
Simon Waterfall (Poke)
Andrew Wilson
Winterbach Fehlschlag
Memorable speeches are those that elicit a response in the listener. Whether
they are political, cultural, serious or light-hearted, the resonance
of the words bears a relationship to the delivery of the orator. It is
the charisma, body language, tone of voice and personality of a speaker
- as well as the message itself - that makes a speech momentous. It is
exactly the same elements in visual form, that make successful typography.
The posters in this exhibition reflect the creative and expressive powers
of typography. It brings together a comprehensive collection of designers
and typographers that represent the spectrum of contemporary typographic
practice. For the uninitiated the word typography might evoke dry, technical,
laborious associations, but this show proves what a richly expressive
medium it is. Typography is an essential part of graphic design. At its
heart, graphic design is the union of words and images, and the way those
words are designed is crucial to the communicative powers of design.
The posters in PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM have been created by some of the
world‚s leading graphic designers. Innovators of the pre digital
era such as Derek Birdsall and Alan Kitching; Pentagram partners Angus
Hyland, Fernando Gutiérrez and Justus Oehler who thrived in the
new technological age; and today‚s young innovators and rule breakers
like FL@33, Experimental Jetset and The Designers Republic, have all contributed
to this unique exhibition of typographical design. Today, typefaces are
busy doing the job of communicating messages in almost every conceivable
modern space ˆ with quiet ease on the pages of novels, shouting thunderously
from moving screens in the world‚s capitals and communicating efficiently
on road safety signs. Typography has existed since humans first made marks
on the walls of caves to express themselves and has evolved as an art
alongside human history. Many typefaces have strong associations with
particular eras, products and services that most people aren‚t aware
of until they make the association for the first time(after which it is
impossible to stop noticing the way typefaces work). A famous example
is the London Underground typeface, designed by Edward Johnson in 1916.
It provides such a successful visual backbone to the whole of London Underground
that it goes unnoticed in situ, but is instantly recognisable out of context.
The most immediate experience of typography for most people today is the
fonts they use to write documents on their home computer. But typographically
speaking this is a drop in the ocean. Any place that words appear - books,
magazines, packaging, signposts, web sites, advertising hoardings, television
screens - are the concern of the typographer. Traditionally, posters and
speeches jostle together in the arena of public protest. Many of the speeches
that have been interpreted for this exhibition are of a political nature
and the posters inspired by the words of politicians and orators bring
together the audio and visual aspects of the protest march, a familiar
experience in recent times. Designer and critic Paul Rand said "typography
is an art. Good Typography is Art". This exhibition celebrates the
beauty of typography and the resonance it has as a means of communication.
It showcases the very best talent from the international design community.
PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM is curated by Angharad Lewis (Grafik)
Harriet Warden
Henry Peacock Gallery
38a Foley Street
London W1
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