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of writings by Canadian philosopher
Marshall McLuhan. These were
hand printed and published
under the title 12 Typographical
Interpretations. McLuhan’s thoughts
on communications and printing
were visualized and intensified by
contrasting type weights, sometimes
within the same word; geometric
stair-step forms; unorthodox letter-,
word-, and line spacing; lines and
bars used as visual punctuation and
spatial elements; and textural areas
introduced into the spatial field.
After Kunz returned to New York and
established his design office, his 1978
exhibition poster for the photographer
Fredrich Cantor was hailed as a quintessential
example of Post‐Modern
design. The contrasting sizes of the
photographs, the mixed weight of
the typography, the diagonal letter
spaced type, and the stepped pattern
of dots covering part of the space all
heralded the typographic new wave.
Kunz does not construct his work on
a predetermined grid; rather, he starts
the visual composition and permits
structure and alignments to grow
from the design process. He builds his
typographic constellations with concern
for the essential message, with
the structure unfolding in response to
the information to be conveyed.
He has been called an “information
architect” who uses visual hierarchy
and syntax to bring order and clarity
to messages.
(47)
Willi Kunz