Typomania2018 Review
Typomania Festival is an event that gathers designers from around the world in one place. For a couple of years its been a remarkable event that is really worth going. For me personally events like this are really important, because I have an opportunity to view and talk to people from non-digital industry. This year I decided to make an informative review of the artists I liked most of all and say a couple of words about their works.
The first thing you see entering the exhibition is the digital projected installation. I could really stand before it for hours watching the screens and layers mixing with each other in a very vivid composition of light and text 😀
The entrance is also covered with Soviet posters. I really like them — they have their style, that I really miss these years. Right now it is hard to say Russia has its own printed style, now everything is more universal. But later then — real Russian Design.
So now, let’s talk about the actors.
*all the materials are taken from the exhibition Typomania 2018 or from the authors’ web-sites(see the link)
Ludovic Balland, Switserland
http://www.ludovic-balland.com
Very Swiss designer, focused on typography, composition, print and books. Many of his works look like newspapers, but I see no bad about it — very creative ones 😄
This very project “Day after reading” came from New York and is more about the readers that the news themselves.
Ludovic feels the composition, plays with simple typography and signs and adds the details that make his work look fresh and unusual. Even though most of his works are black&white, that are still grabbing attention from afar.
Shun Sasaki, Japan
Works of Shun are contradictory to me.
At one hand he is making graphics that look like experiments.
They are more like sketches, lively, funny but useless. I feel these works are more for self-development and self-expression rather than grown-up commercial works.
On the other hand I see commercial work for Nike, for example. And they have a really different styles. In fact, if these two directions were hung in different rooms — I would never get it was one person to make them. I can’t say it is good or bad. I think this is a great advantage for an artist to provide very different directions in his works. On the other hand, a person who created and developed his personal visual style that can be applied to the commercial work seems more a professional to me.
Still lively and experimental but in radically different style.
As a fan of Swiss design I really liked the simplicity of the first group of works. But he actually can show more than“one design” ☺️
Amir Karimian, Iran
Didn’t like all the works, but the broken mirror is awesome. He is really good playing with layers. However I see him more like and artist than a graphic designer. His works are the mix of collage, deconstruction and illusions. Probably the different Eastern culture makes me feel like that, maybe if I could talk to Amir he could describe me his ideas.
So for now I will continue enjoying layered posters
Erich Brechbühl, Switzerland
Another Swiss designer that I really liked.
Well, when I went to his site I’d seen the poster to the Happy Show of Sagmeister. Actually wasn’t surprised — really liked the film, the show and Stefan 😌
Erich’s work os a great mixture of styles and experiments: he is using all the mediums, not afraid to get his hands dirty 😁
And one more, he is really great at mixing these techniques with the meaning. Happy Show would be that awesome if created with plain typography or of torn papers.
But compared to Shun — his works all together seem harmonious.
Great mixture of visual impact and experiments
Subrata Bhowmick, India
Subrata Bhowmick presented a unique collection of Indian textile calendars. It was very unexpected to find them at purely typographic show.
Personally, not my cup of tea, but it would be a shame if I didn’t mention these works
Johnston/Kingston, Switzerland
http://www.johnsonkingston.ch/index.php?/do-make
That was great. I would give them a medal for a real play with typography.
Their’s posters are a great mix of newspapers, typography, experiments and single color. And they look awesome. Probably this style can be names“NewSwiss Style”, less international, still experimental based on the works of past days but with a fresh attitude of modernity.
By the way, I really advise you to read their manifest 😂
Sarp Sozdinler, Turkey
Another unusual person, very inspiring in fact.
At first I looked at his works and thought, yes, my beloved Helvetica guys. And then read“Turkey”. Oh, waaaaaiiiiiit….
Later on I checked his biography and yes, he was studying abroad, Stambul & Vena, Italy, Brussel. Yet there is a Turkish impact though.
Interview with him was also interesting. In a couple of words, not thinking about details, generates ideas at the background and follows his own direction. Prefers to work alone.
— What is your favourite typeface?
— I think that the term“favouritetypeface” should never appear un design, because each typographic approach should suit the context. So even ugly font may create miracles, if it is placed in the best area.
Red East and Tatar Shamali
Remember the posters at the entrance? Soviet ones? Here are Eastern Soviet posters. I looked at them and for a moment couldn’t realise, why Cyrillic has these strange form 🤣
Also read the description. An interesting fact. Most of such posters are politically influenced. Don’t travel on a camel, airplanes are faster!
Shamali also inspired me a lot. Also not my cup of tea, but they were very elegant.
Zametno, Russia
Interactive project“Tearme of”
This project is about interactions with opposites and searching for a balance between black & white. That is close to analogue photoshop pixels, but instead of them — blocks of paper. Each sheet is other white or black, and by tearing it off you get a place or white physical pixel.
Great!
David Tartakover, Israel
Red Lenin with a Putin sticker, lol
He has established a reputation for a series of politically provocative self-produced posters, some at the time of Rosh Hashanah(theJewish new year). His compositions are driven more by content or themes than by high aesthetics. He has described his work as a”seismograph”and”away of reacting to events… to alter opinions and attitudes”.
— sais http://www.historygraphicdesign.com/index.php/prologue/invention-of-writing/303-hieroglyphics
His work is a reflection of his political beliefs
Leonardo Sonnoli, Italy
For me he was actually several artist rather that one. Probably I spend a lot of time standing behind his posters.
Playful, typographic, bright, smart and helvetical 😃
He is playing with themes every time inventing a new approach, creating a new design solution.
Visit his site for more images and videos, they are worth spending time
So, this is it for now 🙃 Will wait for the next year to find some new people and inspiration
So what do you think? East or West? Simple or complicated? Black or White?
Share your thought! 😺
