typography and shadows
In the contrast of figure and ground type is formed.
A shadow is not physical—you can't touch it or feel it and yet it communicates. I know by looking at the shadows on the ground what
kind of leaves are on the tree, the time of day or the strength of the wind.
Our written languages are not physical either—they are shapes on a 2D surface. We can't touch them or hold them. It is a visual interaction. They are simply lines and curves memorized by our minds and combined by our hands. Different combinations form different shapes called "words," to which we attribute meaning. The letterforms that comprise our written languages are much like shadows of the relationship between our thoughts and our tools. They are non-physical changes in value that communicate information to the observer. |
