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Transcript of Surface
SURFACE
Public type on wood, brick and metal.L O R I N O VA K
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Public type on w
ood, brick and metal. L
OR
I NO
VA
KSURFAC
E>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>Public type on wood, brick and metal.L O R I N O VA K
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constitutes a boundary of an object in ordinary three-
dimensional space. Weathering is the chemical and
physical process that changes the characteristics
of natural and man made materials over time. With
nature’s elements helping to corrode public signage,
the roughness and character of each letter becomes
that much more visible depending on the surface it’s
on. There are three main surfaces in our environment,
wood, stone and metal. By comparing each surface
and the effect weather has on each—our daily type
will not be forgotten. Natural weathering is inevitable
but it has different effects on each different surface.
Weathered type reminds us of what once was. The
weathering effects on the typeface allow that original
surface to come back to life. Roles are reversed: at
first it’s the surface, that surface gets covered with
type and then the type becomes weathers and wears
back down to the original surface.
PREFACE
A S U R F A C E
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01
W O O D
splinters and withers over time and so does the
typography that’s on it. The grain of the wood
begins to tear through the letter forms giving them a
rugged look. I found wood to be used as secondary
signage. They also seemed to be the most personal
signs out of the three surfaces I focused on. Used
to mark things such as homegrown foods or a
vegetable stands. On most buildings I would find a
large main sign made of a more sustainable material
and then have a secondary wooden sign pointing on
something specific such as a sale.
SPLINTERS
W O O D
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01
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adventuring in North Lawrence I stumbled upon this
charming vegetable stand. Although it appeared
to be abandoned, it wasn’t entirely forgotten. The
man who owns this is known to never stand guard,
but has enough trust in the community to be honest
when they take his produce and to pay for it. There’s
a sign up sheet where you write what you took and
how much it was. To compliment the handmade
stand there was handmade signage. The one I was
particularly interested in was a large wooden sign
that was propped up against the front of the stand
VEGGING OUT
02
W H I L E with the words “fruits and vegetables” on it. The type
had withered from wind and rain. And because it
was being propped up by the dirt itself, the buildup
had worn off the bottom of the sign entirely. The
weathering gave it a grainy texture and subtle grunge
and not the clean slab serif it was meant to be.
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03 04
form of abandonment except this one is for
good. An old garage that was formally a small
business is left behind. We know this because a
spraypainted sign on an old wood door that reads
“out of business”. The paint is so weather and
worn that the colors blend with each other and
it is hard to make out. In this case, the original
surface is taking over the type almost completely.
ABANDONED .>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
A N O T H E R
05
type on wood was about as old as their owners. Although
this type is barely legible and could have been writen
in sharpie, it was probably the most protected and
cherished found type I discovered. This type was a list of
all the things an elderly couple grew and sold from their
home. The way the paint is peeling took out entire chunks
of the words. The weathering is sentimental, it shows
how much this type and business has been through.
While photographing these signs I was questioned by the
owner. He toldme that these particular signs have been
causing neighborhood drama and that people down the
street were trying to get them removed. I thought it was
wonderful how the warped type mimicked the struggles it
has gone through.
GET OFF MY LAWN>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
T H I S
06
in downtown Kansas City was a jackpot for public
typography on different surfaces. This run down stock
yard has so much character because of how worn down
it is. This small world of empty buildings and forgotten
signage is a big reminder of things left behind. This
particular sign gets swallowed up by the giant brick
building it is mounted on. It reminds me of a badge of
what the building used to be. The letterforms have faded
and warped into irregular shapes.
WESTBOTTOM
W E S T B O T T O N S
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0 7
02
B R I C K
GHOSTS
most popular texture, type on brick creates a
nostalgic and beautifully worn picture. The physical
effects from the weather make some typography
on brick so faded and fragile that it is hardly even
visible, just like a ghost. These ghost signs embody
the past uses of the building and hint at the life that
once was. The texture of brick is so strong that it
takes over the letterform, especially when you factor
in wind and water erosion.
N A T U R E ’ S
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08
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of an entire town are barely visible on the old buildings of the Central Industrial District in
downtown Kansas City. Being one of the oldest areas of the city, West Bottoms is home
to the Kansas City Stock Exchange and the Kansas City Stockyards. The area has been
prone to floods and has survived the Great Flood of 1951 and the Great Flood of 1993. The
community is striving to revive this abandon town. With revival, they are also bringing
attention to the past. A past that is written all over the walls.
IN RUINS
R E M N A N T S
09
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weathering on some stone increases the readability
of the type. On some though, the edges of the
lettering will become rounded and less distinct as
weathering proceeds. Faded and worn. Some are
barely readable it’s so faded by the sun and eroded
by the wind and rain.
T H E
WORN AND TORN>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
“ �W E � M U S T � N E V E R�
F O R G E T � T H AT�
T H E � W O R D S�
B E I N G � V I S U A L LY�
E X P R E S S E D�
AC T U A L LY � S AY�
S O M E T H I N G � T H E Y
H AV E M E A N I N G . ” —Paul Tosh
of the buildings in West Bottoms have overlaid
type. This really shows the passing of time. At one
point this building was used for something entirely
different. Just as life keeps moving, type does as
well. The white text is framed by the faded black
typography. However the newest layer of type is also
suffering the effects of weathering and the two are
mending into one in some areas. The messy painted
letters mimic the atmosphere of very industrial, West
Bottoms District.
M A N Y
P A S S I N G O F T I M E
the spirit of West Bottoms alive, Quality Roofing Co. is not only a functioning business in the district but they
also advertise their business on the side of their brick building. Beautifully done, the advertisement is keeping
the tradition of painting directly on the brick. The texture of the brick has broken through parts of the crisp
white paint, giving it that historic feel and making it cohesive with the surrounding buildings. The dark red of
the brick contrasted with the white typography makes it able to be seen from the highways that run through
the district. It is a beautiful display of typography on brick.
TOP QUALITY>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
K E E P I N G
12
Even with the fresh paint, Quality Roofing Co. is surrounded by typography of the past.
quality of the sign depended greatly on the placement. West Bottoms is a maze
on industrial brick warehouses. Walking the exterior is where I was finding signs
that were faded beyond recognition from decades of exposure to the elements.
Moving inward however, I found that some of the signs were preserved from the
weather and elements.
T H E
PRESERVATION>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
14
An old furniture warehouse on the exterior of West Bottoms showing the severe effects weather has to typography painted on brick.
15
“ �E C H O I N G�
T H E � R O B U S T�
C O M M E R C E � O F�
T I M E S � PA S T. ” —The Painted Ad
with painted signs, West Bottoms also had some companies with signs hung
from their exterior. In the photo to the left, you can compare the two. The painted
brick-wall advertising medium is a historical feature found in numerous locations
throughout West Bottoms. It is a form of advertising that combines art, craft,
and industry and that has faded from modern city life. This medium had its peak
production from the mid-nineteenth to mid-twentieth century. The sign became a
part of the structure, custom shaped to fit the location, with a life span that often
exceeded 100 years. With increased competition from electrical signs and the
growing use of billboards, painted brick-wall advertising began to disappear.
R E A D T H E S I G N S
A L O N G
16
03
M E T A L
RUST
signs tend to have a lot in common. Although
different messages are to be communicated
clearly, the way in which each and every sign has a
consistency that we can all recognize is astonishing.
The expressive characteristics the lettering of street
names occupies isn’t limited to just “computer” type.
The use of hand techniques and local personality can
be equally as charming. I am personally more drawn
to the ones that are worn and tattered rather than
brand new.
S T R E E T
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17
O N T H E R O A Dof metal signs can be found on vehicles. Weathering
is a huge factor with this typography because cars
travel and besides the garage are always outdoors.
The biggest problem that I found was the chipping
of the paint used on the type. Because it is always
exposed the wear is inevitable. The flaking paint from
the weather deletes pieces from the letters making
some of them hard to read. On the other hand, this
gives them a texture and makes them feel historic.
M A J O R I T Y
18
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SIGNS
signs tend to have a lot in common. Although
different messages are to be communicated
clearly, the way in which each and every sign has a
consistency that we can all recognize is astonishing.
The expressive characteristics the lettering of street
names occupies isn’t limited to just “computer” type.
The use of hand techniques and local personality can
be equally as charming. I am personally more drawn
to the ones that are worn and tattered rather than
brand new.
S T R E E T
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19
RUSTED
sufficient time, oxygen, and water, any iron mass will
eventually turn entirely to rust and disintegrate. Rust
is the reaction of iron and oxygen in the presence
of water or air moisture. But what happens to
rusted typography before it completely disappears?
Rust swallows anything and everything in its path,
especially type. The dark red rust tears through the
letter form, making it illegible. Rust on metal is the
most severe of the effects on surfaces that I have
focused on. Instead of enhancing the typography or
giving it texture, rust completely destroys it.
G I V E N
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20
common metal in our lives other than vehicles are
mailboxes. Like cars, mailboxes are primarily outside
and have to endure the affects of weather. Mailboxes
are full of different styles of typography. They
have indented type, decals, and even hand painted
lettering. This wide range of uses gives plenty
of opportunity for wear and tear. The affects of
weather of each different type treatment gives these
mailboxes personality. The hand painted type gets
chipped, the metal rusts, the decals get wrinkled and
you don’t know where to look.
A N O T H E R
BOXES>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
21
CONCLUSION
the surface type is on combined with weathering
affects determines the look of that type. Weathered
type on any surface is nostalgic and reminds us of
what was. Wood splinters and cracks, brick erodes
and wears, and metal rusts and erases. Our history
is written all over our environment, and it our choice
whether we recognize them or not.
I N C O N C L U S I O N
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>SOURCES
http://www.acontinuouslean.com/2008/12/11/flickr-find-painted-brick-signs/
http://www.appliedaesthetics.org/ART132-01/13/baines-haslam.pdf
http://creatingcommunities.denverlibrary.org/story/painted-brick-wall-advertising-signs
http://www.westbottoms.com/
http://www.westbottoms.com/
http://paintedad.com/
http://paintedad.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rust
D E S I G N E R � A S � A U T H O R
PAT R I C K � D O O L E Y
FA L L � 2 0 1 1 , � T H E � U N I V E R S I T Y � O F � K A N S A S