3 posts from November 2007

helvetica noun

1. a typeface in which characters have no serifs [syn: sans serif]

For me, Ray Gun magazine (1992-2000) was an addiction. Through its experimentation with typographic design, this alternative music publication wasn’t always readable, but I loved its individual, frenzied, abstract style. It was a magazine that flew in the face of the employment of monotonal types like the omnipresent helvetica that millions of people see and use everyday. I’m sure you’ve seen it a couple of times today already: on the subway, on a restaurant menu, and in those cheeky American Apparel ads.

The documentary Helvetica dissects the visual world through the history of this pervasive font. Directed by Gary Hustwit, the film studies the proliferation of the Helvetica typeface (which celebrated its 50th birthday this year) in a discursive manner. Hustwit examines typography, graphic design, and illustration culture as part of a larger conversation about the manner in which graphic design and type affect our lives.

The film features interviews with numerous design icons who consider the prospect of helvetica playing a major role in the apparent globalization of our visual culture. David Carson, the former graphic designer of Ray Gun who currently helms dcd studio, feels that typography should be expressive. However Massimo Vignelli, who has designed corporate identity programs for American Airlines, Bloomingdales, Knoll, and Xerox (among others) feels that typeface design should be legible—that its not about the notes, but the space in between. Vignelli believes typeface should be legible and discharges those who, “feel that when they write dog it should bark.” Information architect Erik Spiekermann calls himself a typomaniac and indicts helvetica as, “a ubiquitous default, its air, you have to breathe so you have to use it.” The thing that makes helvetica unique is that the font invites open interpretation and can wear any association attached to it—similar to the manner in which a mannequin dons a new dress.

Helvetica
2007, UK, 80 minutes
Produced and Directed by Gary Hustwit
Swiss Dots, in association with Veer
High-Definition Digital Video

 

Emerging trends in visual ambience have always intrigued me. As a child I was titillated by light and sound shows that were the mainstay of any planetarium experience. Experimental in their technique and narrative, music and light immersions continue to excite because they render subjectivity uncertain. When one experiences an AV set at a concert, the experience is thoroughly communal.

Bronx-based artist/designer/educator Benton-C Bainbridge is one of the world's better-known VJs. His work can be seen in the current Beastie Boys tour at a stadium near you or in galleries, festivals, and museums as Benton-C and Bobby Previte tour their audiovisual duo "Dialed In.”

An early innovator of the emergent 'visuals' movement, Benton-C uses custom digital, analog, and optical systems. He has performed, screened, streamed, broadcast, and installed video all over the world and co-founded the visual performance collaboratives The Poool, 77 Hz, NNeng (as 'Valued Cu$tomer'), Lord Knows Compost, and Stackable Thumb.

As Eyebeam Atelier's inaugural Education Fellow, Benton-C is co-piloting "VJ-U," a program to teach visual performance.

Name: Benton-C Bainbridge

Profession: video artist/designer/educator (aka VJ)

City of Birth: Cleveland, OH

Tell us about your current project: "Dialed In" is a live video and music duo with Bobby Previte. Bobby plays all the music on an electronic drum kit, in real time. He makes his music out of samples from his extensive CD releases, of animal cries, his young daughter, or phone calls to his doctor... all played live, without loops or overdubbing. It all comes out sounding like alien rock, if you can imagine the Cantina house band gone hardcore. I make the video live in a similar style, 'collaging' with samples grabbed from my archives (often warped beyond recognition) which I play with VDMX and layer with my custom video system. We performed at the Lincoln Center SCANNERS Festival and we showed Dance Hall Mécanique at the Dallas Video Festival. Our DVD of 14 music movie 'songs' will come out in 2008. Check it out at: http://www.benton-c.com/dialedin.htm

Where do you find your inspiration? Everywhere! I just open my eyes and ears. These days I'm most inspired by The Bronx, just walking around and taking in all the people and places. And, I'm fed up with the Bush/Cheney fear regime, so I'm feeling inspired to make some angry video.
 
What's the one thing that everyone must know about you? I'm best known for my live visual performances, but these days I spend more time making work for exhibition - in installations, single channel works, or to be performed by someone else (as with the current Beastie Boys tour visuals).

What is your most treasured possession? My body (including, and especially, my mind).

What is your morning routine? My alarm, or my son, or the sun awakes me. I make myself a quadruple espresso and add milk if I have it in the fridge.
 
Passion or permanence? There are no permanent passions. Although, once I really feel strongly about something, the passion sticks with me for a very, very long time...
 
Are you addicted to anything? Anyone? I have a weakness for nicotine, although parenthood has made it much easier for me to keep it under control.
 
What was your biggest break? I was grateful when The Poool had the Whitney Museum at Altria's best-attended show ever. I suppose the largest audiences I've enjoyed have been for the Beastie Boys.

What is your favorite junk food? Chocolate anything.

What's on your iPod? When video iPods finally came out, I bought two and loaded them up with video for shows (and pictures of my son). I used them for a couple months and wasn't happy with the image quality or clumsy playback control so I sold them. Mainly I miss iPods cuz’ I don't have any wallet-size prints of my kid. However, I do have a huge collection of mp3s of all genres. But I can narrow it all down to just one song for my Deserted Island exile: "A Rainbow In Curved Air" by Terry Riley.

Do you recycle? And if so, what? I constantly recycle my own work. I'm big into 'reduce' and 'reuse' too. New York is still a great place for dumpster diving and sidewalk treasures.
 
What's your favorite website? www.operator11.com
 
Discretion or disclosure? I'm honest to a fault, but others secrets are safe with me.
 
When and where are you happiest? Creating, everywhere.

I would love to work with: A fulltime a/v 'big band' that rehearses three times a week. Everyone would play little parts that would mesh together to make polyrhythmic audiovisuals. This seems impossible to do in New York these days... everyone's too busy trying to make money.
 
You'll be shocked to find out I've never: ...watched much TV, seen many movies, or played many video games as a consumer. I like music and books much better than motion pictures.
 
The last book I read was: Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson.

Do you have a side hustle? And if so, what is it? Nope! I'm a one-trick pony; it's all about the pixels with me. However, I manage to do a lot of very different projects so I'm never bored.

Historical figure you'd like to have met? Hmm, may I please just time-travel back to watch some of my favorite art being made? If I had to pick only one session... perhaps John and Yoko making “Revolution 9”.
 
If I weren't an artist, I'd probably be: Rumspringa or Anabaptist.

My current civic work involves the planning and design of a multimedia center devoted to the urban arts whose programmatic curriculum focuses on new technologies, workforce development, and social entrepreneurship.
Hence, I am seriously invested in sustainable development projects for underserved communities. To this end, I’m introducing into my blog people and subjects that traverse my research interests in urban policy and design, the arts, and government/community relations. One of my fellow colleagues, Lisa Norton, is engaged in designing common programs that impact economies—the flows of people, traffic, and goods. A member of the faculty at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago since 1992, Norton teaches in the Departments of Architecture, Interior Architecture and Designed Objects, and the Department of Sculpture. Norton’s work in public design focuses on creating traditional and local markets for local resources and she currently has a project underway in Cleveland, Ohio. Additionally her development, Systems for Slow(er) Structures, is a research base for collaborations between sustainable architectural practices and unique indigenous knowledge.

Locally, this project aims to promote economic and social well being of families in Southeastern Fujian Province, China, within the larger objective of environmental sustainability.

Globally, Norton’s community collaborations aim to make available endangered systems of knowledge and integrate crafts, regional livelihoods, and technologies that relate to local economies and migration.