Neuenschwander
Brody
December
7–11
Year
2020
Working time: 5 days, 6 hours a day on-line × 9 parallel groups of 10–20 participants per group.
The Calligraphic Line: Finding inspiration in non-Latin scripts
About the workshop
In this course we will look at Arabic Kufic script and Chinese seal script to find new ideas for shaping Latin letters. Students will be asked to copy these ancient scripts and then search for shapes that can be transformed into Latin letters. Chinese seal script will also suggest new ways of organizing writing, encouraging the student to depart from the linear arrangement of letters that characterizes alphabetic writing.
The course will begin with a lecture on the various styles of Arabic and Chinese calligraphic history. There will then be demonstrations to show how non-Latin scripts can be deconstructed and then pieced together again to make Latin letters with new graphic potential.
Objectives
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To explore the shapes and spaces of Arabic Kufic script and Chinese seal script, which differ considerably from the way Latin letters are shaped and arranged
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To challenge the students to experiment with the black/white relationships of letters, counter spaces and spaces between letters, lines and text blocks
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To depart from simple, linear arrangements of writing and create text images that challenge the reader to explore the text in new ways
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To introduce the students to a new pen, the cola pen, that they will have to make themselves
Course content
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One lecture on the styles of Arabic and Chinese calligraphy
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Two demonstration sessions on Arabic Kufic calligraphy as an inspiration for Latin letters
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Two demonstration sessions on Chinese Seal Script as an inspiration for Latin letters
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One demonstration session on the mysterious theme of the dinosaur
Portfolio outcomes
Students will be asked to produce one finished sheet for each of the five demonstration sessions. The demonstration will explain how to approach the lesson, and the student will have the time to work on this lesson. At the end of each session, students should have finished ONE well-composed sheet.
This means:
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One sheet based on the FIRST Arabic Kufic lesson
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One sheet based on the SECOND Arabic Kufic lesson
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One sheet based on the FIRST Chinese Seal Script lesson
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One sheet based on the SECOND Chinese Seal Script lesson
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One sheet based on the dinosaur lesson
Workshop description
Tools and materials
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Cola can pen (find instructions below)
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Black ink and a pot to put it in
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Ten sheets (minimum) of good quality paper, minimum size 40 x 60cm per sheet. Not too smooth or thin. The paper needs a bit of texture and should be heavy enough NOT to wrinkle when wet with ink. Please make sure you have good paper. There is no point doing the workshop on cheap, thin, slippery paper. Buy several types and test them, if you need to. The ink should NOT bleed into the paper.
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The lyrics to one of your favorite songs, poems; or your own words if you prefer
Schedule
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Monday
9:00
Lecture and first demonstration (Arabic Kufic 1).
Rest of day to do the assignment. Post work for Q&A.
15:00
Q&A about posted work.
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Tuesday
9:00
Second demonstration (Arabic Kufic 2). Rest of day to do the assignment. Post work for Q&A.
15:00
Q&A about posted work.
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Wednesday
9:00
Third demonstration (Chinese Seal Script 1).
Rest of morning to do the assignment.
14:00
Fourth demonstration (Chinese Seal Script 2).
Rest of afternoon to do the assignment.
Post work for Q&A.
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Thursday
9:00
Q&A about Wednesday’s assignments.
15:00
Fifth demonstration (Dinosaur exercise).
Rest of day to do the assignment. Post work for Q&A.
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Friday
9:00
Group session with Q&A.
13:30
Presentation of work by teachers
Brody Neuenschwander
Brody Neuenschwander is a calligrapher and text artist who works in a wide variety of media, from paper, canvas and collage to glass, metal, textiles and ceramics. He has collaborated for nearly 30 years with the British filmmaker Peter Greenaway and in recent years has moved into performance and installation pieces. Neuenschwander recently made a three part documentary for Arte, PBS and the BBC on the history and future of writing, seen from a global perspective.