As I recall last class we were discussing our fountain pens and the differing forms of writing around the world, such as the brush pen ect. Professor Phillips made a point that we should think about how we form the letters that make up the words we write, they are all made up of simple lines and bars. This then got me to thinking about the art of Graffiti, I have some experience in this field and one of the more challenging aspects is attempting to find a style, the artist has to walk a fine line between legibility and artistic expression though often times artistic expression takes dominance over legibility. Finding ones own letter style is the same process as finding ones own handwriting. It all comes down to lines and bars.
First, a bit of fanboying: I love graffiti! And what a thing, too; I have studied the idea of alternative “texts” most closely in my FYS, and I never thought of graffiti as one. (Apparently I was too obsessed with memes, menus, and internet videos)
Ahem. To your post, I comment: It seems as thought you might beg the question, “Does graffiti art concern itself with certain topics based on the way it is performed (written)?” If the physical act of writing itself exhibits more influence on the text than the writer, then it (act of writing) would also determine the subject of the text, say political satire. What an interesting thing to ponder.
I think that Graffiti definitely concerns itself with the act of writing, the meaning of the written word completely shifts dependent on the time, place and placement of the art itself. A simple word dependent on where it is placed may change from a political message to say a message defining gang territory.
This whole discussion reminds me of a documentary I watched recently called “exit through the gift shop”. The film follows an eccentric man who is obsessed with filming and street art. He spends his time filming artists such as space invader, Shepard Fairey, and Banksy. I would definitely recommend the film to anyone who likes street art. I have been a fan of Banksy and the film makes a point of addressing how much authority his name summons even though the public is unaware of his true identity. “Some people represent authority without ever possessing any of their own.”
― Banksy, Wall and Piece
The fountain pens are smooth to write with. Thanks for getting us them. It was cool to watch Professor Phillips write with the brush pen also. I wonder how many different writing utensils the people from the Middle Ages had when they were decorating the capital letters.
I love those awesome middle ages manuscripts where the letters almost look like paintings with the amount of decoration added to them.
In a slightly related note to writing utensils, this discussion reminds me of my recent visit to India. While we were in Jaipur, we watched a demonstration by an artist who used a single hair paint brush to create his piece of art. (I believe the paint brush was made of a single piece of hair from a squirrel.) The level of detail and precision was remarkable as was watching him create the piece of art. Throughout this course, it sounds as if we will be looking at the effect of technology and materials on publication. I wonder if there are similar advancements or correlations in art.
I find that the fountain pen exaggerates your current writing style. The pen requires less force on the paper and therefore requires your hand to be more accurate with every movement. My handwriting is sub par at best. When I write I prefer pens that i can press upon the paper to assist my hand’s balance to help my handwriting. The fountain pen doesn’t allow much force or else it will become blotchy and may not even write. Although I find it more difficult to write legibly with the fountain pen I like the challenge and I think it has the ability to improve my handwriting substantially.
I agree, my hand writing becomes noticeably worse. The letters begin to flow into one another; it resembles an inconsistent cursive. However, this does allow me to write almost twice as fast. Overall I believe the fountain pen superior to the ball point, hopefully after a while my hand writing will improve to the point of being just as good as normal.
My handwriting quality has deteriorated because of the increased speed at which I can now write with the fountain pen. Everything is still legible though. On a much more positive side, my hand no longer cramps during long lectures or hours of note taking in the library. I am interested in seeing if/how this change in pen affects how I take notes this semester. I used to dread long lectures because I knew my hand would hurt at the end. Now, I no longer have this worry. I wonder if this this change in outlook have any tangible effect.