Mestizo Font by Johannes Konig
http://creativeroots.org/2012/08/mestizo-typeface/
The "Mestizo" font illustrated by Johannes Konig particularly appealed to me due to its representation of culture through typographic elements. I was curious how artists could portray culture through typeface and if it was done successfully. Overall, his use of white space within and around the letters makes the form legible, aesthetically pleasing, and incorporates enough balance of the Spaniard and Latin influences. I searched for Mexican typefaces and Konig's work was executed the most, what I felt, truthfully. "Mestizo" is a term used to categorize people of mixed race from Latin American and Spanish parents. I chose Konig's typeface because I recognize myself as Mestiza. I have both Mexican-Native and Spanish ancestors.
In my findings, I observed how other artists used Native-American patterns and colors. I felt their interpretation was a poor representation of the Mexican culture. On the other hand, Konig's typeface, both in caps lock and lower case, shows exactly what the concept of Mestizo is. If one really thinks about it, it can be offensive, being lumped into an inferior category due to the blood in one's veins. The Spanish were and are, whether subconsciously or deliberately, thought to have finer blood and superior physical features. This can be seen with the bold white lines, forming the letter, just as the Spanish tried forming the government and conquering Mexico. The more flavorful, artistic, wild-yet-ordered shapes that make the other half of the letter are supposed to represent the Latin American blood. Konig chose to use English words of things or ideas that have been infused into the American culture like "Tequila". In his other pieces, he also chose to use the font he created with a backdrop of classic photographs. Those photographs are what he perceived to be ideal-looking Mestizos - his reality.
No comments:
Post a Comment