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TYPE EXPERIMENTATION

QUESTIONS

How can I use the scale of the experiment to dictate the form and legibility of the 3 planes?
How do I understand and work with the physical limitations of the eye?
How can one typeface exist in both two and three dimensional forms?
How do the experimental forms exist in form and space?
How can the type change or move over a period of time?
What messages can encourage or emphasize the form?
Within the research I gathered on the trends involving anamorphosis and tricking the eye,
many individuals use methods such as sculpture, physical space, architecture, and some sort
of grid to give structure to the creation. This provides a recognizable form for the viewer to
understand the structure, but surprises them with a hidden technique or message. I would
describe this form simply as an illusion. This is exemplified through, not only the creation of
anamorphic type that appears two-dimensional, but also with optical illusions that reverse the
process and create a two-dimensional form that appears to be three-dimensional. Forms that
take on this trend often make use of consciously placed lines, gradients and color.

This is exemplified through the relationship between black and white, creating the illusion of
depth. Much of the optical art movement began in the 1960s with painters such as Bridget
Riley and Peter Sedgley that, although somewhat removed from the psychedelic art move-
ment of the 1960s, used many of the same principles that applied to the group such as repeti-
tion, patterns, morphing, contrast of color, or the illusion of depth. On the reverse end, work
from artists such as Felice Varin in the 1970s began using existing space and depth to create
the opposite effect. This movement applied those same principles; morphing, contrast of
color, repetition and pattern. However, this is not necessarily a new trend to the 21st century.
INTRODUCTION

The technique has been employed by various artists throughout history that have distorted
figures to create the illusion of proper proportion. Examples of this inlcude Andrea Pozzo’s
ceiling on the church of St. Ignazio in the 17th century as well as the work of renowned artists
like Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. Much of the work of optical artists appears in paintings,
publications, or other forms of two-dimensional surfaces. With new technology, this has been
advanced to motion and screen-based optical art that will give an illusion in a much different
manner than print. Anamorphic experiments are often set in architectural space as sculpture,
interior design elements or signage.

On a functional level, this distortion is important for its use on indicating traffic-related instruc-
tions for drivers at a specific angle as well as interior and exterior signage that also relies on
the angle of the viewer or other natural elements like sunlight. However, aside from the fact
that optical illusions are cool to observe and wonder at, there is no real functional importance
in their creation. Unless, of course, a message of some kind is crafted within by the creator
that compliments the seen, unseen, imagination or other relating element.
STUDY #1

To begin my experimentation, I made a quick


example of a "T" seen from only one perspective.
Understanding this helps to form ideas about what
I will want to add or remove as an area of interest
for the experimental type project as well as materi-
als I should use in the making process.
STUDY #2

I used the word "security" for my initial experiments


and attempted to reinforce this message with the use
of materials such as fabric and cotton.
STUDY #3

I began to explore more of the two-dimensional


part of my question as I considered creating a
three-dimensional illusion on screen (a flat surface).
This was then placed on a three-dimensional
surface that looks as if it could be two-dimensional
surface from a specific angle. I chose to use a very
structured typeface and created a optically two
dimensional type that is created using only lines.
This focused on each point of the typeface.
STUDY #4

In this study, I attempted to use the two dimen-


sional letterforms that were created to give the
illusion of sitting in three dimensional space and
placed them in physical space across five different
planes, large-scale. Although this particular experi-
ment is not successful on its own due to the illeg-
ibility of most of the letters (specifically i, g, and n, I
believe that the idea as well as the material worked
well for large, lined type that is not permanent.
EXPERIMENTS NEVER END

One of the discoveries contained in my area of typographic studies was realized during my
first few attempts at creating optical illusions. The nature of the work requires a precision, not
only in craft (which has not been achieved as it should/will be), but also placement of certain
objects at specific angles. This precision later informs the creation of actual type and applies
to forming the letters and creating a grid. It is interesting to use the grid and find various ways
to manipulate this through the use of perspective outside of the original creation.

Another important, in my opinion, discovery includes the forms used to create another.
For example, using lines to create a three dimensional box, in turn, was used to create a
structured type that attempts to create the illusion of three dimensions from both the left and
right sides of the letter. This illusion relies heavily on the placement of the lines in relation to
one another. In addition to that, some of my earlier experiments used the material to reinforce
the message. In that, I believe they were almost more successful than using tape or hand-
drawn line to create the letterforms.

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