Jerzy
Jerzy Designed by Andrea Maffei
JERZY
TYPE SPECIMEN
ORIGINS
A tale of two tails Jerzy is the first iteration of new thought process. Taking things apart, pulling things toghether. Or, another way to put it: what happens when you butcher a classic and try to reassemble the pieces of what’s left? Forcing yourself to work in a new environment, having to rearrange something that once was great, without standing in its shadow afterwards. One can try and build the same thing, without ever reaching the greatness of the original. Or one can explore. This is what has happened with Jerzy. Starting from the skeleton of Avant Garde, this new typeface was designed with the desire of giving a completely new look by adding the least amount ef elements possible. Said elements needed to be very strong in order to change completely the feel of the original font. That’s why I opted for strong, aggressive serifs. They feature a very decise angle, that in conjunction with their wide base confers both a dynamic and steady feel to the different characters.
30 pt
Jerzy. Why such an exotic name for a typeface? This is honor of the great Jerzy Kukuczka, a polish alpinist. He was the first man in the world to climb two 8000 in one single winter. One. Single. Winter. I feel a strong connection with his achievements, expecially after this task. Designing two typefaces in less than a week. My mountains. I think I reached the top, but the weather is cloudy, and I can’t see the valley below me. I admire people like Jerzy. I do not admire their will, their strenght. For someone to do as much as to climb not one, but two 8000s in one winter, it requires more than mere strenght. More than just will. Why would somoene puts himself in such a situation were he’s phisically suffering? Does he need to prove himself that he can climb? No. But he climbs anyway. Is it the view from the top? Could be, but it’s such a brief moment compared to all that led to it. I think there’s no reason. He just does it, without any consideration of anything, and anyone else. 11 / 11 pt
angled upper serifs
bilateral serifs
subtle contrast
slanted serif
Jerzy, being built on top of the ashes of Avant Garde, is characterized by a symmetrical structure. The distance between the x height and the cap line is the same as the one from the baseline and the descender line. A modern stress angle conveys a strong, firm feel to the whole typeface. This feature, mixed with the unbracketed and slanted serifs, contributes to the overall stubby but srong, authoritarian but somehow anarchic aesthetics that is the foundation, the essence of Jerzy.
FEATURES
That’s an endangered species at most. What would be the scientific purpose of killing it?
Revenge
Lays of ancient Rome
26 pt
“XXVII Then out spake brave Horatius, The Captain of the Gate: “To every man upon this earth Death cometh soon or late. And how can man die better Than facing fearful odds, For the ashes of his fathers, And the temples of his gods, XXVIII “And for the tender mother Who dandled him to rest, And for the wife who nurses His baby at her breast, And for the holy maidens Who feed the eternal flame, To save them from false Sextus That wrought the deed of shame? XXIX “Haul down the bridge, Sir Consul, With all the speed ye may; I, with two more to help me, Will hold the foe in play. In yon strait path a thousand May well be stopped by three. Now who will stand on either hand, And keep the bridge with me?" XXX Then out spake Spurius Lartius; A Ramnian proud was he:
14 / 14 pt
“Lo, I will stand at thy right hand, And keep the bridge with thee." And out spake strong Herminius; Of Titian blood was he: “I will abide on thy left side, And keep the bridge with thee." XXXI “Horatius," quoth the Consul, “As thou sayest, so let it be."
9 / 10 pt
And straight against that great array Forth went the dauntlessFor Romans in Rome’s quarrel Spared neither land nor gold, Nor son nor wife, nor limb nor life, In the brave days of old. XXXII Then none was for a party; Then all were for the state.
The slow brown fox crawls under the active dog 50 / 50 pt
The slow brown fox crawls under the active dog 40 / 40 pt
The slow brown fox crawls under the active dog 30 / 30 pt
Aa Bb Dd Ee Gg Hh Jj Kk Mm Nn Pp Qq Ss Tt Vv Ww Yy Zz
Cc Ff Ii Ll Oo Rr Uu Xx 50 / 50 pt
QUIET as THUNDER, how I’d wail and WHINE! One groan were I as
of mine would start the world’s
CRUMBLING cloister shivering, and if I’d END up by ROARING with all of it’s powers of LUNGS and MORE
TO HIS OWN BELOVED SELF
quietly, give up Encounter with highly abnormal shark like fish! Ten meters in length! Unfamiliar dorsal features! Spots all over it! I shot it dorsally with a homing dart! Esteban was eaten! Check the scanning monitor before the giant beast dives too deep! He’s got hydrogen psychosis, the crazy eye! Steve! They say you’ve got crazy eye! Get him out of the fucking water! Check the scanning monitor! Esteban! Esteban! Esteban!
please, do not give in We’re in the middle of a lightning strike rescue op, Klaus. What’s the deal? I’m sick of being on “B" squad. You might be on “B" Squad, But you’re the “B" Squad leader. Don’t you know me and Esteban always thought of you as our baby brother? I’ve always thought of you two as my dads. Please don’t let any one make fun of me for saying so. I can’t guarantee that, Klausie, but I’ll try. Can we get on with the maneuvers now?
Do zobaczenia
Faculty of Design and Art Free University of Bolzano − Bozen Typeface designed by Andrea Maffei WUP 18/19 Prof. Antonino Benincasa Gian Marco Favretto Maximilian Boiger Calligraphy Workshop by Mag. Art. Eva PĂśll Font created with Illustrator & Fontself