StereoType

One of the great things about our office is its proximity to local, public art. Last Thursday, many PAYETTErs ventured downstairs to the BSA space for the opening of a new exhibit: StereoType. Featuring the work of 14 designers from all over the world, StereoType asks us to reconsider our preconceived notions of typography, which has historically existed as two-dimensional. The technology available to designers and artists is ever-evolving and the show is full of pieces that challenge traditional typography, utilizing animation, interactivity and 3D sculpture to take these forms into the next dimensions. Here are some of my favorites from the exhibit:

Artist: Brian Banton
Title: Heterosis Typeface, 2011

Transparent elastic, transparent acrylic

For this piece, the artist positioned lines of elastic to create three 3D letterforms. The lines that constitute the letters act as genetic components, a nod to the title of the work and the artist’s inspiration. Each letter is contained within its own acrylic case.

Artist: Alida Sayer
Title: All Moments, 2009

Hand-cut letterpress prints onto cartridge paper

All Moments explores form and type through the delicate carving of pages of printed type, creating a new sculpture and canvas for the artist in the process.

Artist: Thomas G. Mason
Title: LithoParticle Dispersions: Colloidal Alphabet Soup, 2006

Polymer microparticles containing fluorescent dyes and dispersed in water viewed under reflection microscope, video projection

Inspired by the artist’s childhood obsession with Alphabet Soup, this piece features floating three-dimensional letterforms that are so small, a microscope is needed to view them. The microscope projects the letters onto the floor nearby, making this one of the more interactive pieces in the show. The artist is also a college science professor, and the technique employed in his piece may have future use for cell study.

Artist: Evan Roth
Title: Graffiti Analysis, 2009

Video projection, custom software

This piece is really about the creation of a letterform, or a tag, by demonstrating the process of graffiti. A live video captures the mark as it becomes whole. The software used in the piece is also open-source, asking users to upload their own graffiti and archiving the pieces in code.

Make sure you stop by before StereoType closes on May 25, 2015! When it leaves the BSA, the exhibit will head to the next stop on its national tour.

The exhibition and graphics were designed by Rice+Lipka Architects.