Opinion
A Matter of Life and Death
Over the past year, mortality has become an inescapable leitmotif of modern life. And yet, argues Will Self, we are no better equipped to comprehend our fate. When science prioritises the prevention of death over the promotion of our well-being – while the conversation about death remains subdued – can we hope to lead truly healthy lives?
By Will Self 17/05/2021
There are many epitaphs that reflect a dark sense of humour on the part of the departed. Spike Milligan’s comes to mind: “I told you I was ill.” But my favourite one belongs to Marcel Duchamp, the French master who pretty much wrote the rule book for the plastic arts in the 20th century. Freely translated from the French, the inscription on his tombstone reads: “After all, it’s always the others that die.” This, to my way of thinking, captures the extraordinarily paradoxical nature of the human animal. We all know that everyone must eventually die –
Seismic historical events can jolt creativity in new directions. The eruption of an Indonesian volcano in 1815 caused freakish weather throughout the world, inspiring a new genre of gothic fiction. Out of the devastation of the first world war came modernism, with great innovation in literature, art – and typography. Gill Sans, a fresh, forward-looking font created by Eric Gill in 1926, embodied the post-war world’s desire for novelty.
You might think you’re reading the words when you look at a sign or logo. But how they’re written may be as important as what they say. Typefaces are the visual equivalent of tone of voice. You wouldn’t write a party invitation in Times New Roman or a heartfelt apology in Comic Sans. For companies, typefaces play a more important part in articulating their identity than any other design element.
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Orwell gets a neon-tinged makeover in new Penguin series
Australian artist Heath Kane has reimagined the covers of four George Orwell classics in his trademark subversive style 29/01/2021 7:53 am
Reimagining one of Penguin’s classic titles would be a dream commission for most designers, let alone being let loose on the work of arguably England’s most celebrated writer, George Orwell.
The author and social commentator’s most famous work, Nineteen Eighty-Four, has been reimagined by everyone from designer David Pearson to illustrator Noma Bar in recent years.
The latest artist to put their stamp on the world of Orwell is Heath Kane, who was commissioned by Penguin’s Vintage imprint to reimagine four of the author’s best known novels to mark the 70th anniversary of his death.