Description
Mrs. Byrnes is an eclectic typographic collaboration including the work of Ms. Susan Laporte and Mr. Chad Reichert. The project began with the following facts; (1) There are twenty-six letter in the Roman alphabet; (2) There are two designers collaborating, with names that contain both an odd and even number of letters; (3) There were two very obscure, identical dictionaries found by chance at the John King Bookstore in Detroit, MI.
Based on these facts, we set out on a 26 day adventure of typographic explorations. Each day we referenced an adjective randomly found in our dictionaries. As a result, we uncovered an array of unorthodox, playful and spontaneous typographic moments.
• Dimensions 8.5 x 14 (216mm x 355 mm)
• Printed on French Dur-O-Tone Butcher Off White 100# cover weight paper using an EZ590U RISO.
• Letters and definitions are printed using black soy-based ink.
• Each print is shipped in a reinforced flat cardboard mailer.
Definitions
A/1
abditive, adj.
1. clandestine and stylish; 2. uppercase “A(s)” secretly stashed, buried within; 3. sequestered in counter forms, historically layered
B/2
backberend, adj.
1. a thief caught with the goods; 2. antique, French diamond & drop shadow. I stole it all and I’m not ashamed. thanks for nothing Laurent et Derberny.
C/3
cacodoxical, adj.
1. a heretical post-modern assemblage of alphabets approved by the late high-priest of graphic design, Massimo Vignelli; 2. alas Massimo, less is not always more
D/4
dasypygal, adj.
1. having hairy buttocks; 2. everyone has a wild hair sometime or another.
E/5
echinate, adj.
1. a digital dry calligraphic brush created with a few strokes; 2. assembled as a standard component to create this decorative pen and ink inspired letter form
F/6
fashious, adj.
1. troublesome; 2. f also stands for fast. 3. cut, ripped, scanned and reassembled… brutal in execution but rewarding nonetheless.
G/7
gamic, adj.
1. a series of organic egg-like ovals just barely touching; 2. yet they kiss
H/8
hardscrabble, adj.
1. the eking out of a living; 2. be resourceful…why have one when you can have many?
I/9
ignescent, adj.
1. the entomology of the word dates to 1790, as does Giambatista Bodoni’s signature alphabet, Bodoni; 2. controversial for its time; 3. thick meets thin, mathematical meets calligraphic, lush meets austere
J/10
jugate, adj.
1. paired; 2. my sisters, daughters and nephew/niece are all twins. this came easy. two bodies: one shared perspective.
K/11
kedogenous, adj.
1. high contrast, 60’s Op-Art; 2. producing illusions and optical uneasiness; 3. black and white, form and ground
L/12
larmoyan, adj.
1. tearful 2. looking through the lens of water.
M/13
malefic, adj.
1. four simple forms; 2. domino-like, precariously set in motion by mischief run amok
N/14
neoteinic, adj.
1. pertaining to prolonged adolescence; 2. this N needs time to grow into it’s serifs.
O/15
oligotokous, adj.
1. the hits and misses associated with human fertility; 2. imperfect and human yet precise in its science
P/16
papilionaceous, adj.
1. like a butterfly; 2. symmetry and play.
Q/17
quinquennial, adj. + quisquous, adj.
1. five delicate groups of five delicate groups; 2. perplexing that I used the incorrect word; 3. also see wabi-sabi
R/18
recilvate, adj.
1. sigmoid; having a S-shaped shape; 2. lines flirting in space.
S/19
saurian, adj.
1. reptilian details and textures associated with decorative letter forms; 2. and lovely creatures that I do not wish to touch
T/20
tenesmic, adj.
1. a painful but ineffectual effort to urinate or defecate; 2. ironically… fun and satisfying.
U/21
upaithric, (see hypaethral), adj.
1. architectural ornaments bedazzle this more austere and humble Romanesque uppercase “U”; 2. make way for the heavens
V/22
vimineous, adj.
1. pertaining to twigs; 2.woven of pliant twigs; 3. use what nature gives you.
W/23
wilcweme, adj.
1. the indulgence of making marks like a child; 2. scribbling, scrawling, willy-nilly on a touch screen; 3. simply satisfying
X/24
xassafrassed, adj.
1. pregnant; 2. knocked up with tubes ablazin’!
Y/25
ypsiliform, adj.
1. rounded domes of Ypsilanti’s iconic water tower; 2. college town, Greek fraternities/sororities, debauchery; 3. psychedelic Victor Moscoso, clearly borrowing vernacular from the fin-de-siécle
Z/26
zoppo, adj.
1. musically syncopated; 2. lines & stanzas.