1.
Musicians and typographers create in order to gain the sympathy from their audience, And it is the terminal purpose of activity to create. John Cage’s visual notation appeared as a result of evolution from his musical notation.
In other words, th...
1.
Musicians and typographers create in order to gain the sympathy from their audience, And it is the terminal purpose of activity to create. John Cage’s visual notation appeared as a result of evolution from his musical notation.
In other words, there’s aresult of evolution from ‘inorganic’ matter, which was deprived of life by regulation, as well as ‘organic’ matter, which can communicate through being actively touched by itself with an audience. Modern typographers tried to make ‘visual sound’ through various experiments with ‘type’, because they had a desire to put life into the space of their works.
In this aspect, modern typographers and Cage had the same points of view and the same critical mind. Also the visual expression is characterized as synesthesia, which is ‘To see sound’ or ‘sound for seeing’.
In accordance, I researched expressions of synesthesia in Cage’s notation as organic, which is mediated ‘time’ and ‘space’. And I would like to find that this visual expression is not different with typography.
2.
In the introduction, The motive and intention of the study was clarified. It chose ‘John Cage’s notation’ as a research subject. And the ‘play of typography’ in communicated process of his notation as the main viewpoint.
The method of this study is divided into two parts: The process of finding references and the analysis of typography.
3.
In Chapt. 2, I arranged information, which dealt with the basic frame for analyzing Cage’s notation in the typography field.
First, I researched theideal and historical background from Greek age to 20th century with artist’s aspirations that they were trying to comprehend such as ‘time’ and ‘space’ in their art. With this research, I could grasp the basic concept about notation which is mediated between ‘time based art’ and ‘space based’ art.
The analysis of the meaning of notation as medium for art, and the research about the process of history with notation,confirm that, notation is part of the symbol and letter systems.
4.
In Chap. 3, I discovered that the idea of Cage and modern typographer was expressed to against with the classical established formation. And the spirit of resistance was became a motive power for experiments with ‘type’ which is a general method of communication.
Proves that they experimented with ‘type’, I can discuss cage’s notation as aspect with typography. And I research experiments of modern typographer which willing to show ‘sound’ in their works as view of ‘homology’ with cage’s visual notation.
5.
In Chap. 4, I draw diagrams that are visualized with communication way of cage’s visual notation. In this process, I find out ‘the play of typography’ and ‘type-ness’, and investigate this typographic factors with his notation. According to this two factors, I can compare with modern typography experiments and cage’s visual notation.
In doing so, I confirm that cage’s notion is related with modern typography and the visual expression of notation is reflected cage’s idea.
6.
In Chap. 5, the functions and attributes of typographic characters of cage’s visual notation. I suggest that expanding the field of typography,
1. A type isn’t only describe sounds but also it can be a visual language which stimulate and make sounds.
2. The ‘visuality’ is a spirit of intuition and is a motivation for ‘the playful impulse’ with art. It is demanded as a attitude for typographer and musican..
3. A typography work can be included ‘time’ and ‘space’ as the principle of ‘Yin and Yang(陰陽)’.
7.
In this study, I find out which is possible to consider that cage’s visual notation is typography. And I investigate the playful expression of typography.
Cage recognized about ‘visuality’ as ‘transcendence’, felt a musical vitality from shape with symbols of notation, and he tried to write it which exist sounds of daily life, on his visual notation. And I discover that this process is realized with the playful expression of typography.
8.
To sum up, as another way of understanding typography, the point of view of this study, That is, ‘to view of typography about John Cage’s visual notation’, will open more various possibilities of typographical expression and interpretation by expanding the field of synesthesia as a common principle of musical vitalityfor all types of art that is ‘to see of sounds’.