Typography of Rome & A Happy Birthday to You!

Offset Type Stand near the Pantheon, 2009

Buon compleanno Roma!!! Happy Birthday Rome!!! Dear gosh look at how many wonderful birthdays we are celebrating this year! We have the twins to thank for finding this city over 2, 763 years ago today! If you don't know the story, here's a little synopsis of the ancient drama: Romulus and Remus were the twin sons of Rhea (the daughter of Numitor/ niece of Amulius -- the latter wanted her to become a Vestal Virgin in order to attain the family wealth). After the twins were born, Amulius left them to drown in the river. The two little tots were soon found by a she-wolf who cared for them (hence the she-wolf is the emblem of the city). Once older, they eventually killed Amulius so that their grandfather Numitor can restore the throne. Wanting to find a new city of their own -- that's when all the real drama began. Romulus favored to build on the Palatine Hill while Remus the Aventine Hill. Well, now there's no other way to put it -- bang bang, Remus is dead. Now you know why it's named ROME and not REM. Got it? Yikes.

 Now back to type....

Type: It consumes the world we live, without us even knowing it. Look around you, besides you, even under you -- you'll find it. It's everywhere. It's beautiful. Please appreciate it? I'm not sure why I'm so emotional these days, but it really breaks my heart knowing that some, well actually most people (dare I say it) -- do not care about type.  My duty to the world from here on in is: TO CONVINCE THEM OTHERWISE!

I begin with Rome: where everything is more beautiful (partially bias oops). It by no means, is a design city -- but there is a personable quality about the signages that is quite remarkable. What am I talking about? Okay for instance, the local restaurants who still have their menus in hand written type and it somehow, in some strange way -- remains lovely.  Or what about the graffiti you hate to love? But it's so prevalent you cannot let it go unnoticed, like I said, even if you hate it.  Or better yet, the small time shops whose daily specials are hand written on the chalkboard near the store front? Am I the only person getting emotional right now? Does anyone find these treasures as sweet and beautiful as I?  If not, then everything in this gosh damn society is devalued.

Below are some photographs I took and have selected for this entry from my "Let's remember how happy I was in Rome" file. Sorry in advance if you feel like you are experiencing, first hand, my weekly Roman nostalgia sessions.

Enjoy!

Ponte Regina Margherita, 2009

2009

Piazza del Popolo, 2009

"Il futuro non e' piu' quello di una volta" -- "The future is not what it once was" 2009

Villa Borghese, 2009

A presto!
Mari

New Favorite Font Alert: Pistilli Roman

http://www.pentagram.com/what-type-are-you/

ATTENTION TYPE LOVERS: I know you categorize people according to typefaces -- I just know you do. I have wonderful news for you, with a simple quiz you can figure out which typeface actually suits you best. (Come on it's fun...) The website is pretty legitimate and well -- it's made by Pentagram. We just learned about Pentagram in class and if you recall anything at all about Pentagram then you remember Paula Scher is a partner at Pentagram. Now who doesn't trust Paula Scher? Only Fools.

Take the quiz yourself -- you'll get a kick out of it.

For the curious curiouser, my results came in as the following:
Maria Gambino is Pistilli Roman: Emotional, Assertive, Traditional, and Disciplined

http://www.pentagram.com/what-type-are-you/

Till next time
Mari

The Boys of Type

http://friendsoftype.com

Last night I attended a panel discussion sponsored by The Type Directors Club called TYPE RULES. The event was held at NYIT's Manhattan Campus where a lengthy discussion about oh I don't know -- this little critter called: TYPE -- seemed to raise eyebrows (or in Matteo's case, moustaches).

Amongst the panelist were the young fellows whom, after hearing them, I like to reference as The Boys of Type: Matteo Bologna, Roberto DeVicq, Jesse Ragan and Aaron Carambula. Each designer brought his own personality to the table expressing his process, thoughts and passion for typography. They are incredibly passionate but are equally different in their approach to design, aesthetic, process, theory, experience and personality -- especially personality, however. Let's just say these are the sort of spots that make the lady bug more beautiful. Essentially, the night truly was a remarkable one (when on the subject of type).

It was great to see and witness with my own eyes that people exist apart from our little type community here at school, who have made a career out of their interest in or -- relationship rather -- with type. These boys are extremely serious about their letters, if you know what I mean...I found that especially true with Jesse and Aaron -- in fact Jesse is a type tutor/professor and Aaron is one of his students in the program called  Type@Cooper. Matteo -- well Matteo began telling us that when designing, he works straight from the computer -- and never draws. Jokingly or not, this set the tone for his entire "demeanor" which constitutes of him being: funny as hell, blunt as hell and overall -- extremely Italian. Roberto, in the same likeness shared a bit of Matteo's lose ended approach to design (I found) but with a little more care and compassion to the work (rather than Matteo making most of the work seem like "oh this is just another business deal". Don't get me wrong, we all need that quality in us, it's what pays the bills -- thought what I am saying is that a healthy balance is more appropriate. Now on the subject of equilibrium: can you imagine if all their personalities were combined into one person -- HOLY SHERINS! (Name of my Typography Professor Sophmore year)...what a typographically beautiful world we would live in!

Video of the talk soon to come!

Till next time,
Mari

For more info check out: http://tdc.org/