The first part of a book about a typography exhibition

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This is a book about an exhibition held at School of Visual Arts on 7th of April. The challenge was to create awareness that typography is a choice and we, as graphicdesigners, decide the way they 2


look and to create an typographic installtion to educate viewers about the impact of type on how we see things. This is the first part of the two books. This book will guide you to all the process of thinking, pondering and wondering.

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I have chosen Dead history. Dead history is a typeface designed by a type foundry, Emigre on 1994.

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Started by P. Scott Makela while studying in the graduate

Dead History signals the end of an era of traditionally

design program at Cranbrook, the font was originally

produced fonts. It personifies a new attitude

based on Linotypes’s Centennial and Adobe’s V.A.G. Rounded.

in type creation marked by the design of hybrid typefaces

It went through numerous stages of assembly and disassembly

which are largely the result of the computer’s

before it was licensed to Emigre Fonts in early 1994. There it

capabilities to function as the perfect assembling tool.

was finally redrawn from scratch and completed by Zuzana Licko.Dead History was used by Makela in a variety of award winning graphic design pieces including the Audioafterbirth CD packaging and the 1991-93 MCAD catalog, to name but a few.

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Centennial

VAG Rundschrift or VAG Rounded

appeared in 1986 in honor of Linotype’s 100th birthday.

(Rundschrift is German for round writing) is a geometric

The roman and light cuts of the font are reminiscent of the

sans-serif typeface designed in 1979 as a corporate typograph-

Century typeface, particularly on that of Linn B.

ic voice for the Volkswagen AG motor manufacturer.

Benton and Morris F. Benton, designed around the turn

It features rounded termini on all strokes.

of the 19th century for the American Type Founders. Like Century, Centennial too embodies a reserved neutrality.

Volkswagen ended its use of the VAG Rundschrift family in the early 1990s, and it is widely available today and is licensed through Adobe Systems. With many recent Web 2.0 startups, a clear trend in their new logos is the use of soft, rounded typefaces dominated by VAG Rounded, which is said to “lend a modern friendliness to what might otherwise be a cold trademark” and, as of 2007[update], can be seen on T-Mobile USA literature. Apple Inc. has been utilizing the typeface on the keyboards of their line of notebook computers since 1999, with the release of the first-generation iBook, and on their desktop keyboards since August 2007. Australian retailer Big W has changed their logo (previously in Helvetica Neue) to light blue VAG Rounded. The typeface was used for the Volkswagen and Audi Dealer Organization, and for all non-car related activities of Volkswagen, such as the V.A.G Bank and V.A.G Leasing. The typeface was conceived in a general overhaul of Volkswagen’s corporate identity. In 1964, Volkswagen AG bought Auto Union GmbH from Daimler Benz. The main brand of Auto Union was Audi. In the early 1970’s, the dealer organizations of Volkswagen and Audi merged. In the following years, Volkswagen AG re-thought their future strategy. They envisioned buying several car companies to round out their offerings. They also envisioned selling a multitude of brands under giant dealer roofs. The new dealer organization, financial services, and all other non-car related activities were to come under one branded umbrella. Eventually, Volkswagen intended to use this umbrella as the name of their holding company.

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GGK Duesseldorf, at this time one of the hottest agencies

vision of many brands. However, they decided

in Europe, was tasked with the branding concept.

to sell them in separate dealer networks and through rival

Finding a distinct typeface was an integral part. Volkswagen

marketing organizations. The vision of many

at the time had Futura as their typeface. Audi at the time used

brands under on huge roof was left to the auto malls that be-

Times. The new typeface shouldn’t be sans serif

came common in the USA and later in Europe.

as the Futura, and it shouldn’t be serif as the Times. A rounded typeface did not exist at the time, it had to be developed. The original idea was conceived by Wolf Rogosky (creative director) and Gerd Hiepler (art director). Over several years, the identity concept was refined by Bertel Schmitt (creative director) and Manfred Schwarzer (art director). The original typeface was rendered by hand. It was then perfected on a PDP-8 minicomputer. In 1978, the whole Volkswagen and Audi Dealer Organization worldwide was re-branded as V.A.G using the distinct V.A.G Rounded (or V.A.G Rundschrift) as the font for all signage, and for all headlines in their advertising. The V.A.G logo did not use the font. Worldwide availability of the font was a problem. To solve the problem, V.A.G Rounded was put in the public domain. As Desktop Publishing emerged in the mid 1980’s, V.A.G Rounded was included in most free font packages and became widely used for that reason. A free modern implementation is MgOpen Modata. The meaning of V.A.G remains a mystery to this day. The meaning was never officially disclosed. Theories ranged from “Volkswagen AG” (although the official name of the company during this time was “Volkswagenwerk AG”) to “Volkswagen Audi Group.” At Volkswagen, a company started by Adolf Hitler, insiders quipped that V.A.G means “Von Adolf Gegründet” (founded by Adolf Hitler.) In 1992, when most dealerships worldwide had finally changed to their new signage, the concept of V.A.G and with it the use of the font was quietly scrapped. With brands such as Audi, Bugatti, Bentley, Lamborghini, SEAT, Škoda, Scania and MAN, Volkswagen AG had realized its

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ABCDEFGHIJKLM AB CDEFG H IJKL M Linotype Centennial

VAG Rounded

Dead History

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MNOPQRSTUVWXYZ NOP QRSTUVWXYZ

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The first thing I did was to analyze the structure of Dead history and how Linotype Centennial and VAG Rounded are intergrated. I wanted viewers not only to learn that this unique typeface was the result of disassembling and reassembling two specific typefaces, but also the ironical aspect of Dead history. Dead history, as the name indicates, signals the end of the 12


traditional production of typefaces. However, by bringing traditionaly made typeface into the era of digital and reproducing it, Dead history also signals the rivival of history.

Therefore, Dead is/isn’t History. 13


ABOUT

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So, where do I install this? a door, the elevator, a classroom, a corner, a wall, a staircase 14


I wanted my installation to show the process of assembling and

Eversince it was installed, students seemed to hesitate to step

dissembling as viewers move. Since this typeface consists of

on the art work and tried to pass it as quickly as possible in an

two different typefaces, I needed a place where two different

effort not to harm the work. Eventually, they learned to enjoy

space, each one having each typeface, conjures up a virtual

stepping on it and figured out the message of this installation.

space, therfore, showing Dead history at some moment. I prefered staircase idea ove two other places because that’s where

The artwork itself began to transfrom into a “dead” work, los-

students pass by the most among three places I thought of.

ing some of the painted letters, which I kind of enjoyed. I liked

Also, staircase is a space that exists in the middle of each floor,

the idea of having students’ influence on my work.

not belonging to a specific floor, which is where Deadhistory lies in historical point of view. My original idea was to place my installation on the ceiling part of the staircase, where I thought was more unexpected than the floor part of the staircase. But I had some problem with a security, who questioned my safety, on the day of installation, so I had no choice but to install on the floor part.

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My next question is what the message would be. Will it simply

production of typefaces and the rivival of history. I thought

show the statement using the name of this typeface? Some-

antonym is the best choice to show the irony. What I have to do

thing like “DEAD IS HISTORY?” Or will it show the whole set

as a next step is to find three sets of antonym, that has same

of alphet showing the dead history typeface as they are? But I

numbers of letters. Viewers will read different words as they go

wanted more than just showing the form of typeface.

up and down.

As I mentioned it before, I wanted viewers not only to learn that this unique typeface was the result of disassembling and reassembling two specific typefaces, but also the ironical aspect of Dead history signaling both the end of the traditional

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ABOUT

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There were several things I should regard when selecting

was 40 inch wide. There was no paper in roll that is thick

the words. First thing is the material I would use for each floor.

enough to tolerate being stepped. All I could find was rolls of

I decided to use the material as a slight hint of what the

rubber sold at a plastic shop. So given the limitation of choos-

message is. One big obstacle was the size of the stair, which

ing material, I had to find the right word.

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For cautious and reckless, I used black plastic roll with yellow letters. For digital and analog, I used mirror paper with black letters. For lavish and modest, I used red velvet with gold letters. 25


ABOUT

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After it was installed, every students seemed to be excited and

After a week, at 9 AM, I got a phone call from school office say-

they tried to find out what the message was. Some found the

ing my installation was creating a hazard. I had to go to school

antonym easily whereas others ended up asking me.

and throw my installation away into a trash can.

The red carpet was the one students liked the most. Girls seemed to be irritated by the mirror paper one since they couldn’t wear use the stairs wearing skirts. The installation had been a success for a week. A week was how long the installation could last without being ruined too much.

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CONCEPT


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