Case Study: Chrysalis Typeface
Ben Duvall, Pharoah Sanders
Thanks for your interest in my substack/newsletter. I hope to post things that I am inspired by, thinking about, etc and hoping it can bring you value. Let me know if there is anything you would like for me to talk about or address.
I will start with a release of a typeface I have been working on for seven years. It’s called Chrysalis and comes from a lineage of Greek-styled typefaces and designers like Roger Ferriter, Armin Hofmann, Max Bill have dabbled with this concept in the past. I wanted to take it even further.
At this point, typefaces are a labor of love. I completed Chrysalis in a cabin, close to the boundary waters. I make typefaces to relax but also as a tool for design. Designing letterforms/fonts is a process that engages a different part of my brain and is always challenging, like a puzzle. It’s part chess, part sculpting, while managing and designing a system for later use. I also see typefaces as an “open brand system” that is adaptable. Creatively, it’s almost the exact opposite side of my brain as painting, but there is a connection between the two still.
I invite you to check out the typeface and download trial fonts. I try to make everything as user friendly as possible.
This week.
I got a nice package from Ben Duvall. He’s an artist and designer working out of NYC and creates really thoughtful pieces of art. The work is not loud, flashy + often has layers for entry. Highly recommend spending time with his work and bookmarking.
Pharoah Sanders passed this last week. He lead a private/quiet life and didn't do a lot of interviews. From what I have read, he was concerned about the development of himself and let that be the basis of his music. I was fortunate to watch him perform live in an intimate setting years ago. He was lighthearted and free, dare I use the word celebratory, dancing and celebrating life. He was starting to slow down, nothing like the past few years, but even those videos (one linked) display that age, wisdom and a life of skill still have immeasurable artistic value.
August 28, 2022 at “We Out Here”