A bold exhibit

It’s Friday, Feb. 26, at 9 a.m. After walking up the stairs and through the doors of Haynes 242, I was immediately greeted with an array of posters and books, all bearing an assortment of bright colors, contrasting designs and words. It was the 66th annual Type Directors Club (TDC) Traveling Show, a collection of winning typographical designs from international competitions. To describe the experience in a single word, it was enlightening. Before, I was barely aware of typography as an art form, and yet, as I stood in the empty room surrounded by all these prized pieces of art, I could only question why I hadn’t learned of it sooner. 

Right off the bat, it was easy to note the contrast in styles alone between each piece. One made use of wavy lines to hide the phrase “I WILL SEE IT WHEN I BELIEVE IT” behind an optical illusion. Two were promotional posters for Tanzhaus Zürich (a performing arts theater in Zürich, Switzerland). The first of these pieces featured a computer-generated man lifting a boulder and the second showed a determined woman that appeared to be holding onto some rope. One of my personal favorites was a simple brown poster with writing on it made from masking tape. Admittedly, I had some trouble trying to decipher the writing itself, but the thought process behind the poster’s creation was fun to entertain.

“The potency of symbols rests not simply in their ability to represent, but in their ability to instigate action,” read a card that sat at the top of one piece toward the midway point of the exhibition. I wasn’t entirely sure why it caught my eye and prompted me to write it in my notepad at first, but as I exited the exhibit and thought about it, I believe I have some insight as to why. I wasn’t entirely paying attention at first but, throughout that entire exhibit, I was entirely engaged by each piece. From looking closer to catch finer details to stepping back and tilting my head so the whole picture could be made more clear, my attention was actively held the entire time. So much so that I even took the time to google aspects of certain posters like the Tanzhaus Zürich so I could learn more about each one. 

The 66th annual TDC Travelling Show will be open om weekdays from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. until Friday, March 5. There is no entry fee and the exhibit can be found in Haynes Hall room 242. If you are someone who appreciates the arts, is interested in typography or are just interested in trying something new since our activities are more limited during quarantine, then visiting this exhibition before it closes will be well worth your time.