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Nurturing Student Creativity: Typographic visual abstraction through the letterpress poster
Conference presentation

Nurturing Student Creativity: Typographic visual abstraction through the letterpress poster

Debra Livingston
Intersections & Counterpoints, International Multi-disciplinary Printmaking Conference (IMPACT7), 2011 (Melbourne, Australia, 27-Sep-2011–30-Sep-2011)
Monash University
2011
url
http://impact7.org.au/participants/livingston.htmlView
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Abstract

Curriculum and Pedagogy Design Practice and Management typography design students
Few letterpress facilities in design institutions have survived the evolving printing industry changes and new universities don't consider metal or wood type as an essential learning tool for visual communication students. They see the traditional craft of letterpress as a technology of the past. Many schools cannot justify the finances and space needed for such a craft including the difficulty of purchasing available machines, parts and experienced mechanics to keep the printing presses in good working order. Therefore, many students are not able to experience other ways of working with type, singularly dependent upon a computer, screen and software. To help students gain new perspectives, support individual creative needs, instill confidence and enhance learning in making aware the typographic terms and designing physical layouts a workshop hosted by Design College Australia (DCA) held during Icograda, 'Optimisim' Design Week, Brisbane, partnered students with established designers. National and international practitioners imparted their experience of typography, layout and space, limited colour palette, design and style in which to make typographic posters using letterpress moveable type on vintage presses. By experiencing a traditional craft-based medium, students were challenged to abstract pictorial spaces and to question how they use new technologies. This was an opportunity for professionals to share their knowledge by mentoring students in which to guide their creative output, and to compare handcraft type with digital type. This article will focus on the craft, the making, the mastery, the process and the outcomes.

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