[img]541|left|Carter Dewberry||no_popup[/img](Disclaimer: This is not a Facebook-style whimsy intended to give you another label to post on your wall. This is about how the movie “Helvetica” worked my visual and aesthetic perceptions.)
After months of avoiding the No. 1 documentary movie pick on AppleTV, last night I braced myself for boredom (or at least mild annoyance) and rented “Helvetica.” (Really, a movie about a *font*?) Now, questions inspired by the dialogue won’t stop coming to my mind.
First, Some Background
Many graphic designers in the 1960s championed the new Helvetica font as the solution to what they perceived as stylistic chaos stemming from the handwritten typefaces and lack of consistency of the previous decade. This font boasts clean lines, a distinct lack of flourish, and it is celebrated for being nondescript and unthreatening.
Notably, Helvetica is not considered the most legible of fonts. The books I have at home (and those I checked in the library) all use some kind of serif font with clearer, pointed edges (recognized by the little tails at the tops and bottoms of characters). Yet, it is found everywhere from the internet to computer programs to street signs to corporate logos to IRS tax forms.
And the Questions Begin
What does it say about our world that this ordinary-looking typeface has gained international dominance over the last 50 years?
Relating Helvetica to fonts as Ikea is to home décor, what is so fashionable about these styles that avoid showing too much individuality?
Experts claim they can learn much about character from a person’s handwriting. Does this also apply to the default font set on their home computer?
And inevitably, the crowning questions for my musical mind…
How does this discussion of style translate to the music world? Which genres/styles would I tag as Helvetica, which as Graffiti Wall?
Which audiences are attracted to the practical and easily assimilated. Which are drawn to the mysterious and distinctive? How does this apply to my desired listeners?
At the moment, I am better at asking the questions than weaving persuasive responses. Until this changes, I am going to play it safe and shop for some new fonts.
Ms. Dewberry, an accomplished cellist, completed her DMA in Chamber Music Performance from UCLA in December 2005. She received her MM in Cello Performance from UCLA in June 2002 and her B.M. in Cello Performance from Western Michigan University in April 1998. She also holds a B.A. in French with a minor in Women's Studies and Philosophy.
Ms. Dewberry is celebrating the release of her new album, “Origins.”
Her website is www.carterdewberry.com
She may be contacted at carter@carterdewberry.com
