The typography can be characterized by where and how it is used. In other words, its use and meaning is
very broad. From a fine-art point of view, the typography that has been usually regarded as the technique
of designs can have a broad meaning in te...
The typography can be characterized by where and how it is used. In other words, its use and meaning is
very broad. From a fine-art point of view, the typography that has been usually regarded as the technique
of designs can have a broad meaning in terms of both practice and esthetics.
In the eyes of fine art, the typography could go beyond its own original practice, and even could be
classified as a distinctive and separate genre, arguably called “"typography art,”" which encompasses the
fine art and designs.
As an attempt to figure out whether “"typography art”" could be a separate genre, the author examines the
use of the typography in the conceptual art that emerged in the late 1960.
Conceptual artists of that time used languages in their works, and showed keen interests in the use
of the typography. They painted characters (type characters) on the canvass, which means that the words
on the canvass form images and is just what they are. The author guesses that the “"mix of images and
text”" could serve as a fresh approach to the typography.
In this context, the author creates a new genre, “"textgraphy,”" whose meaning and practices are different
from the typography used in the conceptual art. The textgrpahy’'s “"mix of images and texts”" broadens its
artistic aspect, through which the author explains the typography art.
In the introduction to this thesis, the author traces the etymology of “"text”" and “"image”" in order to
propose “"textgraphy,”" the dissertation’'s topic. The author also refers to “"conceptual art”" which broadly
encompasses the textgraphy. The author, based on researches, explains the study methods in the introduction
of the paper.
In the first chapter, the author examines the use of the typography by conceptual artists in the works,
and why they used it. Through this study, the authors figures out the correlation of the conceptual art and
the typography, and that the “"mix of text and images”" were used in the fine art and the typography.
In the second chapter, the author traces the relation of texts and image in the art history in accordance
with a theory by English art historian Charles Harrison.
The author explains “"the correlation of text and images and its break-up”" from a historical point of view.
1 –- The history of the mix of text and image –- “"The language was actually a drawing”"
2 –- The break-up of text and image –- “"The birth of phonetic alphabet”"
3 –- The history of return to the mix of text and images –- “"The emphasis of form”"
4 –- The deepened mix of text and images –- “"More emphasis of form”"
5 –- The emphasis of language over form
Through this approach, the author studies how the typography developed when the mix of text and images
are used as artistic material for the typography.
In the third chapter, this paper charters out more detailed use of the typography in the conceptual art,
which the author labels as “"textgraphy.”"
To this end, the author examines what meaning the mix of text and images has in the conceptual art, and
divides its characteristics into the four –- rebus, playful, non-reproducing, and character-readable.
The author, based on these characteristics, defines “"textgraphy”" as “"a state which text and images
are mixed.”" To back up this definition, the author also studies the background of the birth of textrgpahy
and its concept, and explains the difference between the textgraphy and the typography.
The author also divides the three characteristics of the textgraphy into the threes–- the conceptual
aspect of the language, revelation of the process and the creation of narrative through reading.
In the fourth chapter, the author seeks to figure out the possibility of the texgraphy developing into the
typography. To that end, the authors, by adopting an “"open art”" theory by Umberto Eco and Morris Weitz,
explains that the extension of artistic scope of the typography could become the texgraphy. Based on
this theory, the author explains the four characteristics of the textgraphy –- various meanings, openness,
importance of communication and pictorial possibilities.
This paper focuses mainly on whether the typography –- the mix of text and images –- could have an
extended concept through the study of the typography used by conceptual artists in the late 1960.
The author argues that the extension of artistic scope of the typography can be categorized as
“"textgraphy,”" and the textgraphy is part of “"typography art.”"