A rule for every problem
A book celebrates the 100th birthday of typographer Jan Tschichold
A book celebrates the 100th birthday of typographer Jan TschicholdBy Andreas Panzeri Jan Tschichold has shaped the typography scene like no other. He first provoked as a pioneer of constructivism and liberated lead typesetting from centuries-old rules. Later, he acted as an experienced teacher with a raised index finger. Tschichold returned to tradition and masterfully found a rule for every typographic problem.
In April 2002, Jan Tschichold, who in his early phase identified with Russian Constructivism and called himself Ivan, would be 100 years old. The Leipzig University of Applied Sciences (HTWK) is taking the occasion of his birthday to dedicate an exhibition to the style-defining typographer. A catalog has been published by Verlag Hermann Schmidt.
Just as the exhibition is not only conceived as a chronological exhibition of works, the book also seeks a more creative examination of Tschichold's work. In addition to students at the HTWK, students at the Braunschweig University of Art and at the St. Joost Academy of Art in Breda also spent a semester studying Jan Tschichold. They read his texts on typography and discussed his works.
"Many intelligent, witty, thought-provoking and beautiful works were created during this time," write editors Christian Ide and Thorsten Kirchhoff in the foreword to the catalog. Together with a jury, they have selected the best of these student reflections and typographic variations for the exhibition and its catalog.
One of these works from Leipzig fictitiously shows the ideas with which a revitalized Jan Tschichold could once again seek commissions as a book designer from various publishers today.
Students at the St. Joost Academy of Art have animated various Tschichold quotes typographically and produced a video from them.
In Braunschweig, postcards and posters have been created that deal with the typographer in an original and witty way.
A multimedia CD-ROM accompanying the catalog deals with Tschichold's artistic, political and scientific environment in the 1920s and 1930s.
It goes without saying that the 80-page catalog entitled "Happy birthday, I(w)an!" aims to be a typographical model itself.
The concept and idea for the catalog were developed by Thorsten Kirchhoff under the supervision of Professor Christian Ide as his diploma thesis in the publishing production course. The book was set using Linotype Stone Serif and Stone Sans as well as Sabon designed by Jan Tschichold.
More information about the exhibition can also be found on a dedicated website www.tschichold.net.
HTWK Leipzig (ed.): Happy birthday, I(w)an! On the 100th birthday of Jan Tschichold, Verlag Hermann Schmidt, Mainz, 80 pages, ISBN 3-87439-605-3
In April 2002, Jan Tschichold, who in his early phase identified with Russian Constructivism and called himself Ivan, would be 100 years old. The Leipzig University of Applied Sciences (HTWK) is taking the occasion of his birthday to dedicate an exhibition to the style-defining typographer. A catalog has been published by Verlag Hermann Schmidt.
Just as the exhibition is not only conceived as a chronological exhibition of works, the book also seeks a more creative examination of Tschichold's work. In addition to students at the HTWK, students at the Braunschweig University of Art and at the St. Joost Academy of Art in Breda also spent a semester studying Jan Tschichold. They read his texts on typography and discussed his works.
"Many intelligent, witty, thought-provoking and beautiful works were created during this time," write editors Christian Ide and Thorsten Kirchhoff in the foreword to the catalog. Together with a jury, they have selected the best of these student reflections and typographic variations for the exhibition and its catalog.
One of these works from Leipzig fictitiously shows the ideas with which a revitalized Jan Tschichold could once again seek commissions as a book designer from various publishers today.
Students at the St. Joost Academy of Art have animated various Tschichold quotes typographically and produced a video from them.
In Braunschweig, postcards and posters have been created that deal with the typographer in an original and witty way.
A multimedia CD-ROM accompanying the catalog deals with Tschichold's artistic, political and scientific environment in the 1920s and 1930s.
It goes without saying that the 80-page catalog entitled "Happy birthday, I(w)an!" aims to be a typographical model itself.
The concept and idea for the catalog were developed by Thorsten Kirchhoff under the supervision of Professor Christian Ide as his diploma thesis in the publishing production course. The book was set using Linotype Stone Serif and Stone Sans as well as Sabon designed by Jan Tschichold.
More information about the exhibition can also be found on a dedicated website www.tschichold.net.
HTWK Leipzig (ed.): Happy birthday, I(w)an! On the 100th birthday of Jan Tschichold, Verlag Hermann Schmidt, Mainz, 80 pages, ISBN 3-87439-605-3
