Saturday 31 October 2009

Rue

Rue is my third typeface and also my graduation work at VSUP. TypeTogether will be publishing the 'upright' version by the end of this year while I am currently working on the italics.

Formally, Rue is conceived as a casually ornamental, low contrast and vertically-stressed monoline narrow-faced san serif with random traces of calligraphic tendencies. I suppose it is a representative summation of my eclectic aesthetic decisions through the disconcerting process. As a face, Rue is rather spirited and biological which seems to purpose itself well in an organic lifestyle of aesthetic and wellness such as botanical products and services, books and literature of such. In addition to an extensive period of typesetting Rue, I also realized the potential of the face as a form for gift and ornament. In retrospect, Rue was conceived as a typeface, used as an image and discovered as an ornament.

Why Rue?

It was to commemorate the transition of tutorship from František Štorm to Tomáš Brousil. I cannot figure out if I have had the 'best of both' or 'not enough of either'... At the same time, I needed an -R- word to continue from -P-rahaha and -Q-uandary. That is how Rue received its name before conceiving its form.

Rue is conceived in 2 styles (display+book) with 5 weights (thin + light + regular + semibold + bold). Approx. 400(+) glyphs per character set.
Typical presentation style where colours are used sparingly.
Muddy-coloured alternative.
Exhibition panel standing approx. 3x3m.
In the press, on the drum. Offset and silkscreen printing.
38 copies of offset prints with silkscreen covers. Freshly assembled from bookbinding workshop.
Same specimen with cover variations.
Inside the specimen.
The specimen both as a face and ornament.
Rue as an ornament.
Rue was never about clarity.
And abandoned ideas.
At the final show.
Rue is a diary of finding my way in the vast universe of typeface making.

Alice Font2

Said the mouse to Alice:

Monday 26 October 2009

Alice Font

Audio books rock!. I am currently with one on 'Lewis Carroll Alice's Adventures In Wonderland'. Something about the shrinking potion labeled 'DRINK ME' hits me in a typographic sort of way. This is the essence of 'Alice' for me at the moment.

This is the nip, tuck version.
This is the raw sketch.

Thursday 22 October 2009

Demystifying 'Creativity'

This entry is inspired by 2 videos I chanced upon, Elizabeth Gilbert on nurturing creativity and Amy Tan on creativity.

'Creativity' is a treacherous if not elusive expression. At best, we can only try to articulate our own experiences as a way to confront and not be condemned by our very own anxieties. And yes, a large portion of 'Creativity' is about anxiety management which never cease as a threat to bring us down to the lowest low. Waddling through a muddy stream of ambiguity and self-doubt, clarity has no business in the process of 'Creativity'.

'Creativity' is nevertheless not just about depression and suffering. Creativity is about realizing (with laborious discipline) an imagination (with plain spontaneity). A desperate attempt to make things happen at the greatest inconveniences. The reward of it all is the promise of a glimpse of a universe that we never knew existed. 'Creativity' is a steadfast commitment to the unknown.

As gratifying as it is exhausting, it is a humbling process of constantly overcoming one's prejudices with new discoveries.

Monday 12 October 2009

MRT/LTA font

If you ever wonder what is the name and designer of our MRT font? Check this out for the official list of metro fonts around the world.

Czech Republic in the news

Czech Republic is in the news for being the last and only EU member who refuse to sign the Lisbon treaty. How surprisingly unsurprising...

Sunday 11 October 2009

Plato and platypus walks into a bar...

At a meeting of the college faculty, an angel suddenly appears and tells the head of the philosophy department, "I will grant you whichever of three blessings you choose: wisdom, beauty - or ten million dollars."
Immediately, the professor chooses wisdom.
There is a flash of lightning, and the professor appears transformed, but he just sits there, starring down at the table.
One of his colleagues whispers, "Say something."
The professor says, "I should have taken the money."

Thursday 8 October 2009

FT4

Little known fact: FT4 is my very close brush with contemporary arts. It was a group exhibition themed Vanity Fair at VSUP gallery in the month of May 2009. The title of my work: FT4 (Free Tibet 4ever) - People don't really care about anything that doesn't affect them personally. Other group shows by VA studio.

It's a (mega) stencil standing at 2.8m by 1.5m.

I never consider myself keen on politics but the whole fanfare of 'Freeing Tibet' was literally driving me nuts when I was in Prague surrounded by not just the Europeans but foreigners of all sorts, predominantly the Americans. Other senseless shit like boycotting the Olympics in China, treating the Dalai Lama like a superstar... western hypocrisy has never hit me so hard on my face.

Oh well, in the meantime, my heart goes out to the Ukrainians who are probably going without gas (again) this coming winter.

Tuesday 6 October 2009

Monday 5 October 2009

RSS (Rain, Shine, Snow)

My daily walk to school everyday. Be it rain, shine or snow. The river is the view on my right, the city centre is on the left. Monday blues, PMS... I miss Prague today :(

Right view
Left view
'Not-going-anywhere' view
Sometimes, all it takes is a picture to calm down...