Word-Image-Movement

Contributions of typography for modern and contemporary artistic discourse

Résumé

This paper aims to carry out a brief analytical approach about the semantic and aesthetic role of the written word and typography between the end of the 19th century and the present moment, paying particular attention to its perception and use in audiovisual and digital systems. Analyzing a wide range of periods, works and artists, the purpose is to understand the potential of typography in the contemporary artistic discourse, mainly exploring the visual, dynamic and interactive components in modern and contemporary typography. The theoretical study described here will support, in part, a project that foresees the artistic creation of multiple audiovisual and digital artifacts, produced from the documental and textual collection of Fernando Gonçalves Lavrador. The objective of this initiative is the dissemination of this same collection through one exhibition, where Fernando Lavrador’s texts – currently preserved by Cine-Clube de Avanca – will be appropriated, transforming them into artifacts that combine textual, imagery and kinetic elements. Until the exhibition takes place, which is expected to happen in 2024, a process of preparation and experimentation with different languages, styles, techniques and materials will be developed. The results obtained so far – three short films – will also be presented in this paper. This preparatory act that precedes the appropriation of the heritage aims to refine the creative processes around this theme and study new possibilities of using typography as an artistic component in a computational and videographic system.