Non-tradition as factor of creativity in Portuguese typography

Non-tradition as factor of creativity in Portuguese typography

Quelhas, Vitor; Branco, Vasco; Mendonça, Rui; Curralo, Ana Filomena

Article:

Our purpose is to present a diachronic and synchronic overview of typeface design in Portugal, since the dawn of typography until current digital typeface design. This article also aims to contextualize typeface design main periods within the European typographic tradition. Our findings suggest that foreign expertise and aesthetics were frequently introduced in Portugal. By the opposite, other European countries were traditionally innovative in typeface design. There were in fact surges of innovation made in Portugal, but usually by the hands of foreigners working in Portugal. We address the Portuguese case in a global context of typeface design production. Along the history of typography until the Digital Revolution there were no outstanding singularities regarding foreign counterparts. However, the Digital Revolution brought a paradigm shift, with Portuguese designers gaining international prominence. Our results indicate that typefaces always relied on difference and on local / global interdependence. Tradition in typeface design was found non-linear and non-stationary. Instead, it was identified as an open, ever-changing process.

Our purpose is to present a diachronic and synchronic overview of typeface design in Portugal, since the dawn of typography until current digital typeface design. This article also aims to contextualize typeface design main periods within the European typographic tradition. Our findings suggest that foreign expertise and aesthetics were frequently introduced in Portugal. By the opposite, other European countries were traditionally innovative in typeface design. There were in fact surges of innovation made in Portugal, but usually by the hands of foreigners working in Portugal. We address the Portuguese case in a global context of typeface design production. Along the history of typography until the Digital Revolution there were no outstanding singularities regarding foreign counterparts. However, the Digital Revolution brought a paradigm shift, with Portuguese designers gaining international prominence. Our results indicate that typefaces always relied on difference and on local / global interdependence. Tradition in typeface design was found non-linear and non-stationary. Instead, it was identified as an open, ever-changing process.

Palavras-chave:

DOI: 10.5151/despro-icdhs2014-0054

Referências bibliográficas

• [1] Anselmo, A. (1997) Estudos da História do Livro, Lisboa: Guimarães Editores.
• [2] Dias, J. (1996) Craesbeeck: Uma dinastia de impressores em Portugal: Elementos para o seu estudo. Lisboa: Associação Portuguesa de Livreiros Alfarrabistas.
• [3] Febvre, L.; Henri-Jean, M. (1997)The Coming of the Book: The Impact of Printing 1450–1800. London: Verso.
• [4] Fragoso, M. (2012) Design gráfico em Portugal. Lisboa: Livros Horizonte.
• [5] Gray, N. (1976) Nineteenth Century Ornamented Typefaces. Oxford: Faber and Faber Limited.
• [6] Heller, S. (1993) Who says classical has to mean boring?. In Eye Magazine, 3(11). Retrieved January 10, 2014, from http://www.eyemagazine.com/opinion/article/monitor6
• [7] Heller, S.; Fili, L. (1999)Typology: Typeface design from the Victorian era to the digital era. San Francisco: Chronicle books.
• [8] Quelhas, V.; Branco, V.; Heitlinger, P. (2011) The languages of Typeface Design in Portugal. Strategic Design Research Journal, 4(2), 84–92.

Como citar:

Quelhas, Vitor; Branco, Vasco; Mendonça, Rui; ana filomena curralo; "Non-tradition as factor of creativity in Portuguese typography", p-391-396. In: Tradition, Transition, Tragectories: major or minor influences? [=ICDHS 2014 - 9th Conference of the International Committee for Design History and Design Studies]. São Paulo: Blucher, 2014.
ISSN 23186968, DOI 10.5151/despro-icdhs2014-0054