Lilli Wilkinson Chambers
Hacker
Contents 4 6 8-9 10-11 12 13 14 17-22 23 24-25 26-27 28-29 30-31 32-33 34-35 36-37 38-39 40 42-43 44-45 46-47
Brief Workshops Hacking Helvetica Concrete Poetry Secret Language Emotional Language Research + Inspiration Reading Generative Design Helvetica Corporate Helvetica Sexualizing Helvetica Do/Do Not Sea Punk / Vaporwave Virtual Porn Pyramid Country Jon Rafman Development + Experiments Digital Collage Formats Context + Evaluation
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Brief
Aims/Context: Explore language, its manifestations literal and visual, the audiences to which messages are structured and the environment, places, virtual and physical, digital and analogue in which they may appear.
Undertake the role of a hacker. Hack the system or structure on a selected situation and environment. Exploit a weakness within the system. Utilizing typography as your main medium. Experimenting with iterations of hacking methods, codes and subverting the established framework.
the system:
Helvetica
WORK
SHOPS
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Hacking Helvetica After looking at modular typography as an exercise we were given a set of Helvetica letters including the alphabet in upper and lower case, numbers and a some punctuation. The task was to manipulate the typeface in any way we like, to construct a new type face. I began by looking at the types constituent parts and considering how I could use this in a different way to build up my own letter forms, by hacking the visual language. Being dyslexic I thought I could use this as a starting point to the system I would develop, I chose to set rules for myself around this idea. I would only use letters which are commonly confused by dyslexics; b d p q m w and e f x y to develop an uppercase alphabet. I played around with photocopying the type in reverse to then be used within my letter forms, this lead to me testing my typeface in reverse also as when I’d photocopied the letters it had taken me a while to realize (suggesting I’m possibly more dyslexic than I once though) and so shown is my experimentation with developing the letter forms in reverse which I think is an interesting comment on legibility for a dyslexic. I then put the text into Photoshop to reflect the letters again so one can see the difference in looking at the forms in both ways.
My fist set of letters inspired me to experiment further with legibility and how letters can seem very confusing to a dyslexic. Here I played around with cutting each upper case letter in half horizontally and then flipping their positioning. Playing with the idea of letters being jumbled and confusing.
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A
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Concrete Poetry Concrete Poetry plays with the idea of function vs form and the reflection of meaning through form and visual language. The arrangement often is used as a tool to depict the subject of the poem, however it’s not always figurative. This process offers me an insight into the idea of hacking, with the ability to consider altering the meaning of a text through experimenting with new forms.
Task
Create a piece of concrete poetry utilizing the provided text on new typography I began by reading through the text taking time to understand it and see what was most interesting to me. I then picked out words that stood out to me and began observing the correlation between them. I found it interesting to read about the view of old typography in contrast with new typography, this lead to me choosing to place juxtaposing words together, and arranging ‘unnatural’ statements such as ‘pure inorganic’ and statements which to me work together like ‘obvious ornamental superficiality’. I used the cut paper to provide blocks on the page due to blacking out the page behind, wanting to create a sort of ‘ransom note’ style aesthetic. The words in combination are striking and I think the layout reflects the discord between the words and quite angry/agitated tone of the meaning of what the text has become.
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Secret Language
To find inspiration and learn more about the idea of hacking within text and language I began looking at secret languages and codes that existed in the past or exist now. The codes and languages that interested me most include Ogham, which is an ancient British and Irish alphabet consisting of characters formed by parallel and crossing lines.
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Emotional Language
In a small group we began the task of developing our own ‘secret language’. Initially we discussed examples of secret languages and their uses. We thought the system needed to have a functional use not just a code and so we started to think about failings within communication in our day to day lives.
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SEARCH
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INSPIRATION
Reading To understand more about typographical principles and become more informed on the subject of Helvetica and modernist type I read around the subject. Here I’ve summarized some of my findings which in turn helped me to develop my concept.
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Research
Generative Design After the workshops I looked further into letter forms and their components. Myles Palmer’s web app Munari Fantasia also came to mind, which is a response to Bruno Munari’s ABC Con Fantasia, in which all uppercase letters of the alphabet can be made using basic elements which are common to each letter. Straight lines and curved lines can be arranged in different ways to create the letter forms. I experimented with the app creating both uppercase and lowercase type. This process links to the hacking process we undertook when deconstructing Helvetica, it also inspired me to consider using a digital format to display my hack. The workshops gestured towards generative design which gives you a system
to stick to which gives the work a reason and context. Working with given instructions/systems can produce seemingly random outcomes. However when collated the systematic rules will reveal the connection. Within the brief our system is Helvetica, it’s interesting to consider how one can do so through use of a generated system.
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Research
HELVETICA (2007) To gain a further knowledge of the system; Helvetica, I watched the film based solely around the typeface, its creation, uses, and its progression into the mainstream. Helvetica began to be used widely for corporate identity due to it’s clean and legible aesthetic. Paula Scher speaks about the corporate use of Helvetica and it’s connection to huge empires who could be linked to the Vietnam war. This idea interests me, leading me to consider looking at Helvetica from a negative viewpoint, almost like a villain. Something that was created with a view of idealism has now become uniform and routine. Sagmeister speaks about how boring modernism can be, as it conforms to predictable formats and typefaces like Helvetica. Within the film American Apparel is mentioned as having ‘sexualized’ Helvetica, this concept is interesting to me as many express their view of Helvetica as functional, universal and with the ability to be used in so many different uses. Postmodernist’s rebelled against the unified and controlled structure of what came before, Massimo
Vignelli; a pioneer in the modernist period explains how post modernists were against modernism and strongly against Helvetica. They broke the rules of form and function, creating something different in juxtaposition to modernism. David Carson speaks about his work and the experimental value of it, he also talks about legibility; “Don’t confuse legibility with communication and just because somethings legible it doesn’t mean it communicates” it’s interesting to think about how one can use type to express meaning and the difference between simple and powerful and simple and boring.
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Research
Corporate Helvetica It could be argued that Helvetica is so widely known since is became commonly used for corporate identities, the simple and easily read typeface lends itself well to clear concise branding. It’s though to be inoffensive and legibly which is why it’s so well suited to this use. On the other hand Helvetica has become so frequently used that its become expected, over used and lacking vitality. Many think of Helvetica as overused and worn out due to its wide use, therefore people are looking for new alternatives that still maintain some of the benefits of Helvetica but add a new fresh style.
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Research
Sexualizing Helvetica After considering American Apparel and their use of Helvetica I wanted to research further into the concept of the sexualization of Helvetica. Context plays such a strong role in altering what a typeface can portray. Helvetica; a typeface commonly used for cooperate identities and informative signage is transformed when applied to American Apparels imagery and clothing, a once respected typeface can now be seen in a new perspective, a ‘sexy’ one.
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Research
Do/Do Not Helvetica is widely used to tell us what to do and what not to do through signage and informative text. I’m interested in Helvetica as a voice and how its used to control. I want to incorporate the voice of Helvetica within my hack, through considering tone and context. I want to play with the idea of altering the tone of the typeface to hack the use of Helvetica. I also want to experiment with commands often written in Helvetica, to command the reader to do improper actions opposed to abide by societal rules.
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Inspiration Sea Punk / Vaporwave
To gain a further understanding of the visual language I want to use to hack the use of Helvetica I chose to look into Sea Punk and Vaporwave. I love the digital cut and paste style and the bright and cluttered aesthetic as well as the use of mirror images. I want to take inspiration from the style within my work, incorporating the digital and virtual aesthetic with pornographic visuals and utilizing Helvetica to instruct and inform on the topic of vulgarity and sexualization, playing with a new way to use Helvetica.
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Sea Punk art from Tumblr
Sea Punk art from Tumblr
Vaporwave art from Tumblr
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Inspiration
Virtual Porn
Inspired by the aesthetic of Sea Punk and Vaporwave I took an interest in the use of the internet and digital software in the porn industry. I plan to incorporate the visuals from virtual porn within my final outcome to add more vulgarity to the piece, commenting on the normalization of porn and how Helvetica has also become so normalized that it is seen everywhere. I aim to vulgarize Helvetica as a comment on pornography, through use of visuals from virtually produced pornography in combination with Helvetica.
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Inspiration
Pyramid Country Pyramid Country are a skate company that create skate videos. Unlike typical skate videos they approach the subject differently with combinations of modern and old cameras used and digital manipulations. They create futuristic styled videos with a mixture of what seems to be digital manipulation and hand made cut and paste methods. I chose to look at their work because I find their style to be unique to them and inspiring because they’ve created videos with a new perspective on skating.
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Inspiration Jon Rafman
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Rafman’s work interested me because of his use of digital imagery to explore the paradox’s of modernity. He plays with irony which is the tone that I want my work to evoke.
DEVELOPMENT
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EXPERIMENTS
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Development
Digital Collage Inspired by the aesthetic of Sea Punk and Vaporwave I began experimenting with my own digital collages using imagery readily available on porn sites. My concept revolves around the idea of Helvetica’s use being hacked. Helveitica is regularly seen in a corporate format I want to hack this and instead use it to reflect vulgarity and comment on Helvetica being the norm and pornography also being normalized. I experimented with virtual imagery from games like second life and virtual
pornography found on the internet. Pornography is so accessible and can be destructive due to its often unnatural reflection of sex. I used photoshop to clutter the page with digital textures, exaggerated virtual pornographic images and word art that I created using the 3D tool. Mirroring is something that is often used in Sea Punk art and Vaporwave so I also applied this to layout which I think creates more impact and complexity.
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Experiments Formats
Digital Format A web application which begins with a corporate layout, after clicking the web page the Helvetica typeface starts to dissolve and glitch like a virus attacking. The page melts away to reveal a garish, saturated digital pornographic collage featuring Helvetica word art and vulgar disorganized layouts.
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Pop Up Format
Flip Book Format
A corporate minimalist style single folded handout opens up to reveal an over the top pornographic pop up with distorted Helvetica type and over saturated colours. Hand cut images and text standing out from the page in cluttered and overwhelming layout to contrast typical uses of Helvetica.
A flip book with a corporate clichÊ slogan an minimalist layout on the front and back cover. The cover features dull words which reflect Helvetica’s simplicity but when opened flipped the clean typeface erodes away into a vulgar confusing pornographic collage with destructed Helvetica.
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Development Context
Evaluation
After considering all of my format ideas and what I want my work to reflect I decided to continue developing my work through digital methods by experimenting with animation/ moving image and GIF’s. I looked further into corporate identity, particularly looking at huge corporations that are known to do wrong. I chose to use Pfizer as the subject for my GIF because it’s a vast company that is one of the worst abusers of the human right of universal access to HIV/AIDS medicine. Shown are some of the frames I began to prepare for the GIF. I began by storyboarding from the corporate identity which becomes pixelated quickly revealing a collage I created, with images many would consider embarrassing and vulgar. The GIF aim is to make a joke of the brand, and alter the perception of both the corporate format and the use of Helvetica. I liked experimenting with the process of frame by frame animation and transforming the bland format into something cluttered and unprofessional. When beginning the project I was nervous because typography is not my chosen specialism and I’m not very confident with creating type faces or using it as my main medium. However after undertaking some of the hacking workshops I became more excited about the project and how open it had become. Gaining more knowledge about Helvetica and how it is used also helped to inspire my concept. I found it interesting to experiment with a more digital art perspective on the topic and work with moving image. It was time consuming to get the hang of creating the GIF due to having to create more than 60 frames with slight iterations so that the GIF slowly transformed from a corporate to a pornographic aesthetic.
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