Thanks for your patience during our recent outage at scalar.usc.edu. While Scalar content is loading normally now, saving is still slow, and Scalar's 'additional metadata' features have been disabled, which may interfere with features like timelines and maps that depend on metadata. This also means that saving a page or media item will remove its additional metadata. If this occurs, you can use the 'All versions' link at the bottom of the page to restore the earlier version. We are continuing to troubleshoot, and will provide further updates as needed. Note that this only affects Scalar projects at scalar.usc.edu, and not those hosted elsewhere.
The Book AsMain MenuA Repository of InformationA PerformanceA JourneyJessie CarterA Conceptual Playground for Choice(sagesolar, 2014, “The king of hearts”)A Medium for Universal LanguageA Phenomenal ReadingA Relationship Between Recto and VersoA Vision of the FutureA Repository of LanguageKate Aberman74d96e55dd29b74bef0e0a20c2d79e879fab26ccEmmie Banksd3c00922e17d33400599c8143d1d353f7d36ea7aJessie Cartera6f04f02805133baaf416ab9fcd9a4a2b857b080Deanna Fayed2f0ded76fb9215a15ea7a11b638a892a604843bfGabby Huberta3f266b029aa2bada1c10fd4a31317d37a1bec9dKatherine King6125a92332113f4973e618b8e428aac70a6ed790Carol Leea596a4440954bb8282b044cb431f3d2b8a9a8e75Sarah Richmanbeb66f0b62cd0c55d75ac46cfcf447f52ffe6aa8Matthew Winz5800f51dc1a62f1d2397973f41e4b16a521351b3whitney trettienf2bbb7126b60dc1bee07050dccbd9d30f12d7b2b
Symbolic Typography and its Effects on Universal Understanding
12016-12-05T17:37:32-08:00Sarah Richmanbeb66f0b62cd0c55d75ac46cfcf447f52ffe6aa81355613vispath2016-12-12T06:29:29-08:00whitney trettienf2bbb7126b60dc1bee07050dccbd9d30f12d7b2bThis path was written by Sarah Richman (2016).
The idea of universal language has always been a hot button topic, and it is being explored more thoroughly as we introduce greater amounts of symbols into our daily lives. Book artists have been approaching this idea for a long time, drawing attention to its possibilities and its potential drawbacks. In utilizing multiple kinds of symbols in exchange for words or other symbols themselves, certain book artists whom I will discuss further down this pathway have exercised their ability to assign meaning to that which is ambiguous.
The idea of universal language is controversial: there are those scholars who believe that is achievable--especially through the use of symbols--and there are those who disagree entirely with the possibility that it could ever happen due to individual differences in cultures. Despite these contradicting views, it is clear that the stripping down of language-specific words and reimagining them as purely visual icons presents a fascinating relationship between the form and typography of these books and their function as carriers of the potential for universality.
It is my hope that throughout this pathway, you will question the existence of universal language, the idea of perception and reading, and how two unique individuals have the possibility to look at a symbol and for the two of them to have completely different interpretations of that one symbol.
This page has paths:
1media/symbols-frame.jpg2016-12-05T20:48:42-08:00Sarah Richmanbeb66f0b62cd0c55d75ac46cfcf447f52ffe6aa8A Medium for Universal LanguageSarah Richman5splash2016-12-06T10:23:38-08:00Sarah Richmanbeb66f0b62cd0c55d75ac46cfcf447f52ffe6aa8
Contents of this path:
1media/IMG_1142.jpg2016-12-05T17:45:50-08:00Sarah Richmanbeb66f0b62cd0c55d75ac46cfcf447f52ffe6aa8Maple Leaf Rag by Ellen Banks9image_header3578352016-12-06T10:36:10-08:00Sarah Richmanbeb66f0b62cd0c55d75ac46cfcf447f52ffe6aa8
1media/IMG_1151.jpg2016-12-05T18:03:55-08:00Sarah Richmanbeb66f0b62cd0c55d75ac46cfcf447f52ffe6aa8Book from the Ground: from point to point by Xu Bing7image_header2016-12-12T06:31:07-08:00whitney trettienf2bbb7126b60dc1bee07050dccbd9d30f12d7b2b
1media/IMG_1157.jpg2016-12-05T18:07:51-08:00Sarah Richmanbeb66f0b62cd0c55d75ac46cfcf447f52ffe6aa8Typo Bilder Buch by Romani Hänni10image_header2016-12-06T10:44:35-08:00Sarah Richmanbeb66f0b62cd0c55d75ac46cfcf447f52ffe6aa8
1media/Arrival_2016_Film.png2016-12-05T18:23:09-08:00Sarah Richmanbeb66f0b62cd0c55d75ac46cfcf447f52ffe6aa8Pop-Culture: Arrival and Universal Language8Where Universal Language and Mainstream Culture Intersectplain2016-12-05T20:34:58-08:00Sarah Richmanbeb66f0b62cd0c55d75ac46cfcf447f52ffe6aa8
12016-12-05T18:45:44-08:00Emoji Pillows2Forsaken Fotos, Emoji, April 21, 2016, accessed via Flickrmedia/26566165705_8ccb1f6e82_m.jpgplain2016-12-06T10:27:13-08:00
12016-12-05T18:47:08-08:00"Savoring Delicious Food Emoji"2Sarah Richman, Silly Emoji, 5 December 2016, accessed via Richie's iPhone. According to "Emojipedia", this emoji is meant to symbolize someone "savoring delicious food". I use it to mean I'm being silly.media/FullSizeRender.jpgplain2016-12-06T10:34:36-08:00
12016-12-05T18:51:18-08:00Page from Typo Bilder Buch2Typo Bilder Buch (2012) by Romano Hänni; published by Studio for Designmedia/IMG_1167.jpgplain2016-12-06T10:03:34-08:00
