Monospatial #97

Typographic letters serve as familiar means of communication. However, when they appear outside of text, a new way of seeing emerges—the familiar alphabetic lines and curves of text create an architectural structure. This transformation notwithstanding, the characters in Monospatial retain inherent familiarity, tempting viewers to search for recognizable sentiments, which they can sometimes find. Within this generative system that prioritizes form, functional aspects like legibility, recognizability, and pronounceability linger. Monospatial originated as a system of manually drawn monospace letters. Each letter was initially given equal width and then programmed to undergo significant warping while preserving certain formal ratios and geometry. The compositions draw inspiration from childhood days spent learning handwriting. Many of the pieces incorporate thin ruled paper lines, and the color palettes evoke print paper, No. 2 pencils, and retro schoolhouse furniture. When children trace and copy capital letters, it is often the only time in their education when they can appreciate the formal beauty of something as ancient as text. Pixelated textures place Monospatial firmly in the digital, while also alluding to the analog texture of pencil marks. The basic shapes of squares and circles are used to accentuate the geometry of the alphabet. These shapes establish connections throughout the compositions, highlighting and disrupting the familiar rigidity of text on a page. d to download.