typography NOW: the next wave

typography NOW: the next wave

Emigre. Magazine pages

Emigre graphics, USA, 1987

Design Rudy Vanderlans

This beautiful little gem was lifted from one of the coolest type books I've experienced so far. The whole book talks about "the next wave" of designers who are pushing the envelope when it comes to experimenting with typography. The introduction gives a little insight on how the computer has ruined typography for designers by taking the hand–made quality of design out of the picture. But for others the computer has opened the door to many possibilities allowing more of an engagement of content through "layering of elements", "manipulating visual language", and creating a "frenzied delirium that is uncompromising all without loss of legibility". Quotes straight out of the book. I couldn't describe it any better. 

This piece here was done by Rudy Vanderlans for Emigre Magazine. The composition stunningly contrasts between black and white creating a visual narrative of completely opposite positions that work perfectly well together. The texture from the black, along with the paper, has a gritty nature giving the piece a nostalgic atmosphere. This guy is all over the place with his point sizes and line depth. The layering is done so well and the whole things is still completlely legible. I'm not sure what the two typefaces are but I do know that one of them is a serif and the other looks like some sort of 8 bit digital type from the 80s. Between the two types there seems to be two totally different conversations happening as well, which would make more sense for choosing such a black and white contrast for the spread. 

I checked this book out. I'm not going to return it either. Sorry. 

-Hector J Guerra