I don't think this is a typeface per se. Where did you find this sample and what size has it?

It looks as if a few elements were put together in different instances, somewhat like Gerard Ungers Decoder can be used to build 'forms'. If this has been done like yhat it most likely was done in 'lead'.

Anyone have ideas looking at it this way

That's really smart. And I'm not, of course. Classic error… ; )

Volta Bold

http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/linotype/volta/bold/

Clarendon Black as basis but then hand painted.

http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/bitstream/clarendon/black/

ChrisL

Bert, exactly the same thing happened to me!
Then suddenly I saw the "F".

Now if we could just leverage this sort of thing in notan design...

hhp

Strangest thing is that when you look at it with one eye it is more apparant.

Yes - interesting! Also interesting, but admittedly
less strange, is that distance/smallness also helps.

hhp

Ha, thanks for the image Bob. I only realized how curious it looks when I returned to the post. Thanks!

J

When I first looked at it I saw blue abstract glyphs - then it clicked - but that is what is so cool about positive - negative interchange - you get tricked by context, color. texture etc. And Hrant is right - if only we could master notan to the level that this was not so hit and miss.

I read this interview with John Byrne, the legendary comic book artist, where he admitted that as a beginning artist he drew the logo on Superman's chest like two little fish-like shapes -- until he realised it actually was a red 'S' on a yellow shield.

And this very morning my daughter discovered that the logo on her cereal box is a 'c' reversed out of a diamond shape. :^)

BTW Egizio is the only slab that has the rounded inside corners where the stems join the arms. In the David Berlow's version the corners are less rounded.

And how many people never see the arrow in the FEDEX logo