Introduction
Contents THE GOOD OLD DAYS The way we were
1-2
The king’s new robes
3-4
As the world turns
5-6
THE IMAGINARY LIGHT AT THE END The Great Depression
7-8
Moving forward (too fast?)
9-10
Change
11-12
THE COMEBACK KID Back in black
13-14
The new world
15-16
Flying high at age 5000
17-18
Why are you here and why is your story important? I am very delighted to come in and voice the trials and tribulations that I have endured, the impact of my contributions to humanity and what the future holds.
1 THE GOOD OLD DAYS
Many human inventions have come and gone, yet you’re still here. What gave you the enduring quality that presided with you in the glory days? I was pivotal to human civilisation since the decline of stone carvings, when humans roamed the trees looking for berries in the dawn and hunted in the day. I held the monopoly of language in its permanent form, and for centuries embodied the brilliance above all human invention since the discovery of fire. Through my thoughts, ideas and information transcended the confines of a cave and reached generations and places far beyond what was possible in the oral tradition. This notion, my pedestal if you will, was still towering in the consciousness of humanity up until very recently.
THE WAY WE WERE
Left: 1900s inspired handwriting.
Can you speak about Penmanship before the postmodern era? There was a sense of unity you see, especially in professional institutions where their use of me was uniform or at least striving to be in those days. To properly use myself as a tool to communicate to the newly interconnected world was almost a symbol of culture and prestige - very much the epitome of the 19th century. Well in what I like to call my heyday, when my form and figure was admired by millions through the flourishing of the printing press, people had a flare for the way they wrote. There was this notion that one needed to write properly, elegantly, clearly and with dignity.
Penmanship was a very important aspect of documentation, since there were no other available technologies. It was therefore taught out of necessity, with schools and workplaces spending vast amounts of time ensuring that each of their pupils or employees had neat and legible handwriting in the style that was popular at the time. I actually think it’s a pity that such emphasis on penmanship has fallen out of favour. Really, it’s the decline of an artform.
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What sort of forms did you manifest the most in the 19th century, and which were you most impressed with?
3 THE GOOD OLD DAYS
There were many forms of writing at the time but the one that struck me as the most subtle and elegant was undoubtedly the Spencerian handwriting of mid 19th century. What a beauty she was - it mirrored the beauty of Copperplate, yet retained the edgy tones of the time. It was truly a sight to behold. And why not? The creator Platt Rogers Spencer wanted a version of me that was versatile, practical and could be adapted to a variety of situations, like a chameleon in a rain forest.
THE KING’S NEW ROBES
Was it harder then or now to conform to a grid?
A grid? Ah yes the grid. My place on a piece of paper was very much the fascination of the artisans and scholars of the like before the 20th century. People all over the world realized that the way they placed me was able to sway meaning and the contents of what was communicated well before the computer revolution. It was definitely harder back then to conform to a grid. Typewriter and script writing had many more parameters. Culture and life in the period was not really inclined to experiment with scale, kerning and typographic combinations compared to the fostering of freeform art and typography that exist today. In a way I was caged in much simpler, uniform walls whereas now I feel I am standing next to a clearance bin in a clothing store, not knowing how people will dress me up next.
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Above: 1900s inspired signage incorperating calligraphy.
5 THE GOOD OLD DAYS
AS THE WORLD TURNS
You maintained D VLJQLĂ€FDQW SODFH in the 19th century. Did you notice then any hints of what would happen in the 20th century at this time?
Yes I did, and to be honest I did see that my hegemony over the communication of the globe would diminish eventually. It was a relatively sudden change, especially when you compare it to how old of a hag I am. But there were definite signs that humanity was moving in a different direction. The main problem was the very nature of handwriting the artistic trade that was embodied into my being was no longer efficient and fast enough for the world. The first sign came with the advent of industrialization in Europe. Among the magnificent achievements by man, the train, the steam engine, the factories that glittered upon what were the ancient pastures of Europe, my neighbors became less and less important until some simply faded away into the mere footnotes of history books. Weaving, embroidery, painting, carpentry, were all replaced by the younger, more slender trades that automation brought to life. I suppose it first hit home with the invention of the typewriter. From there, the world - especially the sections that ruled the globe, business, governments, the military began to adopt automated type and I was slowly but steady relegated to the sidelines.
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7 THE IMAGINARY LIGHT AT THE END
THE GREAT DEPRESSION
Above: Interpretative progression of Bauhaus type.
What was your period of hiatus like WKURXJK WKH ÀUVW KDOI RI WKH WK FHQWXU\"
It was kind of like being the scorned wife in a horrible 1950s movie. There XBT TVEEFOMZ B ZPVOHFS NPSF FGmDJFOU and beautiful version of myself. It was certainly very scary - I felt myself slowly losing the people that had made me come into being. It was heart breaking feeling such a loss after almost two thousand years of devout partnership with humanity. There was a very dark period of lonely envy. I found myself comparing my own qualities with type and the ways it superseded me as the eminent form of recorded information around the world.
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“ 9 THE IMAGINARY LIGHT AT THE END
The world was moving and typefaces were just the natural progression.
MOVING FORWARD (TOO FAST?)
Did you have any worries for this rapid progression from handwriting to digital type? After overcoming the self-consciousness, yes. Type was heading in a direction that saw a trend to increased x-heights, and reduced character and line spacing, all elements which change word and
paragraph shapes. You have to remember I have been around for thousands of years so such huge shifts in society in such a small space of a few decades was worrying to me. I saw that humanity was moving faster than ever before with technologies from fast food production to stock exchanges, the world was moving and typefaces were just the natural progression to go. It unfortunately meant I was obsolete.
THE WORLD ACCORDING TO HANDWRITING 10
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11 THE IMAGINARY LIGHT AT THE END
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13 THE COMEBACK KID
BACK IN BLACK
R U currently undergoing resurgence in contemporary culture?
Yes I would say there is definitely a small resurgence of hand-made and analogue styles within art and design. People R getting increasingly interested in old technologies and means of production such as letterpress, hand-painted signage, and generally depending less on the computer for much of the work. While the computer clearly still dominates the realm of notetaking and creating large bodies of text, the appeal of handwriting is making a small and gradual comeback as an art form that express individuality and cultural awareness is definitely becoming a more popular trend. Of coursew while many have written my obituaries, I am everywhere, just not as loud or as dominating as I used to be, just look in any personal diary.
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What do U think was the reason for a return of Handwriting?
15 THE COMEBACK KID
THE NEW WORLD
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17 THE COMEBACK KID
FLYING HIGH AT AGE 5000
What do U believe U can contribute to our computer dominated contemporary culture? I believe those that engage in my tradition of text recording spark a greater appreciation of the written word since the words R physically seen to flow from Ur hand. It is now recognised to be more personal and intimate, and U have a closer bond to the things U have written. Through handwriting, thoughts flow from the motion of Ur hand; U R not obscured by a screen but R part of the complete process. I think that society as a whole has returned to value creativity and individuality that it once threw aside for the sake of efficiency and stale productivity.
What do U believe U stand for now? I think I represent individualism, sentiment, a personal connection between text and heart. It’s unique to everyone, something that symbolises one’s personality and emotions by itself. It can represent a mood and a particular moment in time. A typographic snapshot of who U R at a present moment is a really powerful message which can bring a much more profound dynamic to a body of text. In this new paradigm and society I think I offer a deep psychological aspect that can reveal intimate details about who U R. There’s even a new discipline in design circles which study handwriting in relation to a person’s character called graphology, which really is opening doors to more creative avenues into handwriting. The emerging interactive relationship as a result of this change between handwriting and technology is the solution to my mid-life crisis. :P
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