T. Phinney and P. Shaw quoted in the Washington Post

James Montalbano
James Montalbano Posts: 134
in Miscellaneous News
An article about Trump's Oval Office sign:

https://wapo.st/4ilNzLQ

Comments

  • John Savard
    John Savard Posts: 1,214
    I was able to find a summary of the article elsewhere on the Web. It noted that typography experts stated that the typeface used, Shelley Script, was more commonly used for wedding invitations than for architecture.
    As there was once a comedy show with the title "The West Wing", however, were there one with the title "The Oval Office", Shelley Script would have been just fine for its title. But the President would have to be a sympathetic character to make such a situation comedy work.

  • Thomas Phinney
    Thomas Phinney Posts: 3,096
    The West Wing was more of a drama, although it had comedic elements at times. Still more drama than dramedy.

    I thought I gave them some better quotes than that, but clearly not. Ah well.
  • James Puckett
    James Puckett Posts: 2,034
    I want to read what I’m sure were Paul Shaw’s brutal comments that they didn’t use.
  • Peter Bain
    Peter Bain Posts: 24
    Any discussion of the current President and the White House is now a political litmus test. That said, I found two stories online through the msn website, and one, syndicated (?) from the WaPo quoted former White House calligrapher Rick Paulus. Paulus' work has been selected for the Letter Arts Review annual. It seems a wasted opportunity when a prominent calligrapher, signwriter, or stonecutter doesn't receive a commission for a national landmark.
  • SCarewe
    SCarewe Posts: 12
    He might have been asked, but had the integrity to refuse  ;)
  • John Hudson
    John Hudson Posts: 3,560
    The lettering—both its style and its presence—makes total sense to someone who is used to living in hotels and resorts. All rooms need labels. The Oval Office is located between the Business Center and the Spa.
  • John Butler
    John Butler Posts: 352
    Matthew Carter designed Shelley, a perfectly respectable script typeface, whether or not Carter himself approves of slathering it with this uniquely naff context. 

    There is likewise some kind of absurd debasement of Hoefler Text in a variety of Instagram meme captions. And even Curlz MT on strip mall vinyl cut signage on rural hair salons.
  • John Savard
    John Savard Posts: 1,214
    John Butler said:
    whether or not Carter himself approves of slathering it with this uniquely naff context.
    For obvious reasons, typeface designers generally don't get the same level of... creative control... that the law usually affords, say, musicians. So we frequently hear of musicians objecting to the use of their music in connection with events they disapprove of.
  • John Hudson
    John Hudson Posts: 3,560
    This is what the final installed lettering looks like.



    Yup. Fake bold with misaligned stroke connections. Remarkably, the taped up bits of paper showing the layout actually looked considerably better than the finished result.
  • Craig Eliason
    Craig Eliason Posts: 1,488
    And that cropped photo doesn’t show just how inadequate the margins are! 

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