It must be a reaction to the cold, mechanical mainstream of contemporary western society. Same goes for so called "vernacular" type, where badly crafted letters are seen to have charm.

I think warmth and imperfection can be good things, but the way they're coveted these days seems like an escape, not a true valuation of those virtues. People who now cherish wood type still can't live without their chrome gadgets.

hhp

> It must be a reaction to the cold, mechanical
> mainstream of contemporary western society.

I think the same can be said for the rise in popularity and appreciation for both formal and casual script faces. Charm is definitely one aspect, but so is personality. And an attachment to the more human component of lettering, perhaps.

Tayo, do you think it is being used incorrectly? With a poker tournament, I think it's great. With Bam Margera's MTV show, it doesn't make any sense (that I'm immediately aware of).

"Perhaps the single most distinguishing factor in the approach of the contemporary designer is his willingness to let the problem act upon him freely and without preconceived notions of the forms it should take."

"As we become more mature we will learn to master the interplay between the past and the present and not be so self-conscious of our rejection or acceptance of tradition. We will not make the mistake that both rigid modernists and conservatives make, of confusing the quality of form with the specific forms themselves."

�Alvin Lustig


credit to: http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm?contentalias=alvinlustig (steven heller)

http://www.bravotv.com/images/Celebrity_Poker_Showdown/hdr_home.jpg
http://espn-att.starwave.com/eoe/wsop/content/home_header4.jpg
http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/images/us/local/products/productsall/p110077c.jpg
http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/images/us/local/products/productsall/p65938c.jpg

the preceding are a small sample..
I agree Brian, poker tourney's are fine, nay, even warrented. I am just curious how EVERYTHING* is now made in Tuscans or Egyptians or of woodblocks. Whats next, graffiti scripts? How does one keep up with such avant garde trends? (Read: "some kind of sarcastic comment")

*May not include all things in existence currently.

EVERYTHING* is now made in Tuscans or Egyptians or of woodblocks.

i guess i didn't realize what a trendsetter beck was back in 1996!

If you are not already aware of the company, try to track down Hatch Show Print in Nashville Tennessee.

Jim Rimmer

Stephen..
That was the point of that image, sorry. Someone mentioned Poker as acceptable for woodtype, and I agreed, but I found that image that had nothing relevant to it in its typography, even though, that is one of the more famous tournaments I know of (I don't watch much television). I should have labeled my images.
Paul..
Please refer to the * in EVERYTHING.
But on the subject, do you find the use of Beck's album cover relevant? Do you find it relevant that type SHOULD be relevant? Just curious, as I am still in school and our school lives and dies for Swiss typography and the International Style. Everything must have a purpose...yadayada. I agree with it, but slowly I have been suceeding from the rigor of it. For instance, I have forced myself to cut Helvetica by 75% because even she can not identify Beck.

to me type is like color. you use color to evoke certain moods and responses. you can use type the same way. beck's odelay album is not totally country, but i think you can feel it's influence. i think that the titling for the album art helps convey this visually as beck does in the music on this one sonically.
does type have to be relevant? i believe it should be, but does it have to be? i don't think so.

If it doesn't have relevance, you risk confusing people.

Perhaps I have just begun noticing all the woodtype as of recently BECAUSE of the poker stuff. That is to say, it was the catalyst that made me aware of so much existing woodtypes.
PS this is tayo jimenez