L [arrow] R : left to right : the cultural shift from words to pictures

194 Pages·2010·27.27 MB·English

by  David Crow

REVISED L_R COVER 5D8D_UK.qxd 7/19/06 6:49 PM Page 1
L
David Crow is Head of the School of Other books in the AVA Academia
e
Design at Manchester Metropolitan imprint include:
University, UK. David worked as a f
designer in London at the design t Visible Signs

group Assorted iMaGes and as an Visual Research
t
Art Director for Island Records before Kiss and Sell
o
running his own freelance consultancy. Drip-dry Shirts

As a freelance designer he worked for Visual Communication
R
a range of clients in the cultural sector The Fundamentals series
including Rolling Stones Records, Virgin i The Basics series
g
Records, Phonogram and The Royal
Shakespeare Company before moving h
into an academic role. He has lectured t
at design conferences and in art schools
/
in Europe, Asia and the USA. His first
book Visible Signs was publishedby
D
AVA Publishing in 2003. Left to Right Left to Right /
There is a commonly held belief that there is a shift toward the image a
the cultural shift from words to pictures
from the written word. This is often stated in introductions to any v
text on visual culture as an accepted feature of our society and forms i David Crow
d
part of the context for the discussion. This book is a chance to pause

on this idea and explore it more broadly. It is an introduction to the
C
notion of ‘left brain’ and ‘right brain’ thinking that provides a series
r
of doorways into different examples, and draws these together to
o
form a useful discussion for students of communication media and
w
graphic design.
A
V
A
A
c
a
d
e
m
ia
C| Left to Rightfalls into AVA
o
nt Academia’s Contextcategory,
e
x which presents design history in
t
a wider context for both student
and established designer.
ava publishing sa
[email protected]
www.avabooks.ch
£24.95
(AVA) Left To Right
CD706-91/4028 UK
L/R intro_ 6/14/06 4:52 PM Page 1
For Wendy, Drew, Ailsa and George

(AVA) Left To Right TB
CD606-45/4028
L/R intro_ 7/7/06 12:47 PM Page 2

(AVA) Left To Right TB
CD706-26/4225
L/R intro_ 7/7/06 1:19 PM Page 3
Left to Right /
the cultural shift from words to pictures
David Crow

(AVA) Left To Right TB
CD706-26/4225
L/R intro_ 7/12/06 9:02 PM Page 4
Left
Word
Male
Verbal
Analytical
Adam
Apollo
Yang

AD
Science
Page
(AVA) Left To Right TB
CD706-64/4225
L/R intro_ 6/14/06 4:52 PM Page 5
Right
Image
Female
Non-verbal
Holistic
Eve
Dionysus
Yin

BC
Sorcery
Screen
(AVA) Left To Right TB
CD606-45/4028
L/R intro_ 7/10/06 5:32 PM Page 6
Contents
9 How to Get the Most from this Book
10 Definitions
12 Definitions / Glossary of Terms
16 Context / Introduction
Chapter 1 Chapter 2
25 THE TELEVISION AGE 53 LANGUAGE WITHOUT BOUNDARIES
26 / The Arrival of Television 55 Context /The Origins of Writing
/ The Rebus
30 / The Influence of Television
/ Magazine Case Study 56 Context / The Rebus
/ Connecting Writing with Sound
35 / The Influence of Television
/ Advertising 58 / Utopian Ideals
38 /A New Wave 58 / Isotype Institute / 1941–1969
42 Context /A Post-modern Sensibility 65 / The Rationale for Isotype
/ Words Divide: Pictures Unite
46 / The Influence of Television
/ Penguin Books Case Study 66 Context / The Politics of Writing
70 / The Principles of Isotype Symbols
76 / Isotype and Colour
78 / Isotype and Linguistics / Value
84 / Blissymbolics / Semantography

/ The Visual Language of C.K. Bliss
86 / Blissymbolics / The Principles
88 / Blissymbolics / Linguistics
90 / Universal Perception/ Adrian Frutiger
(AVA) Left To Right TB
CD606-45/4028
L/R intro_ 7/10/06 5:32 PM Page 7
Chapter 3
101 A NEW TYPOGRAPHY
102 / Day-Glo Constructivism
/ Reprocessing
110 / New Primitives
115 / New Primitives / Neo-Modernism
116 / Light the Blue Touch Paper
and Stand Well Back
Chapter 5
118 / Fuse
155 CONVERGING TECHNOLOGIES
123 / Fuse / Typing Pictures
156 / The Desktop Computer
137 Context / The Printing Press
163 Context / Technology as Catalyst
139 Context / Gender and the Alphabet
164 Context / Invading Languages
142 Context / Saved by Television
167 / The Mobile Telephone
168 / The Mobile Telephone
/ Portable Identity
Chapter 4 172 / The Mobile Telephone
/ Frontline Reporters
145 SAFETY, SPEED AND COMMERCE
173 Context / Amplifying Reality
146 / The Pictogram
174 / SMS / Short Messaging System
152 / Internationalism

178 Context / Summary
189 Bibliography
190 Index
192 Acknowledgements/ Picture Credits
(AVA) Left To Right TB
CD606-45/4028
L/R intro_ 7/19/06 6:21 PM Page 8
An AVA Book
Published by AVA Publishing SA
Rue des Fontenailles 16
Case Postale
1000 Lausanne 6
Switzerland
Tel: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
Distributed by Thames & Hudson
(ex-North America)
181a High Holborn
London WC1V 7QX
United Kingdom
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
www.thamesandhudson.com
Distributed in the USA & Canada by:
Watson-Guptill Publications
770 Broadway
New York, New York 10003
Fax: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
www.watsonguptill.com
English Language Support Office
AVA Publishing (UK) Ltd.
Tel: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
Copyright © AVA Publishing SA 2006
All rights reserved. No part of this publication
may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise, without permissi on of
the copyright holder.
ISBN 2-940373-36-1 and 978-2-940373-36-9
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Design by David Crow
Production and separations by
AVA Book Production Pte. Ltd., Singapore
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
(AVA) Left To Right TB
CD706-91/4028
L/R intro_ 7/8/06 8:15 AM Page 9
9
How to Get the Most from this Book
180 181
Context / Introduction
Summary / The Analytical Image
The book’s subject matter is
iohtCAtmtnhhheftotaeee lrtntpir o hnhbebtide ene ooii us gsxobobsc t kuakoate .o e/ocdws skkuS m i a lmduoalta mif scmsp t otcham hauvte ehrwsea y sberrba .eyo eyotdfge o otriinkhnrfine toinrgy context *ItgniTsOdtdTloamwIaidIctatiemotrinhnn*heomheehihafnahtcnenoodcafhen et *antaensrsin dci c v n vot epc e*te gisiocsd hcoesenu rrttkittpir* reriguo sihrltroreehnhdnashhrmwpeo*as bngucn dortmisaehiiob eeaaor i*t,iehraeipuiites afdswsd cgraes*i lr sp necscynissfi ltrtelo l1te*niseegdte tnh eosceraaisdnae9wa *gt: eragirrtodanwcga eg f6otfo* i dstle imtwgcdstaern rt0fi‘ritf*e iydnnpmohet om odhob sosdlo *so itcau e, oitw awyoo,hr idsn*.ntufitsnr nmotsnniu o ufLws id.* onfaisiega hed nrntrewitcdRuio wc*etoic sg,an di e o gtfhueosrfIae*renoate ssewcnnehwrerna lt e nrr*ed nt s iroh att eo sataocota dt*n ai tlsr rm hm mitdtn itmfona a*ttoibitddeoeu viueedctehe ‘ a ii* ensyeas nf cenrvn l datrdlocnpm* et sn . hv’ eetSea wiBecyuotea*dy aad et a.lihaadoadaaattrnyrg* pbn hdr ooldrva werdmoi s,ie*eodteehepnav estotMt’e qucub os*su o eo s ier hraoh m usam(rd,o* t pkw nrtetltidteetieliaela f* oee /tiq odleosohastd mn.aifow*frie1isuoc,e,rn /s le a rinefe* mn,sielo n 2ae tggrtn:iAr *p inspsimi ggrrlaheeedot nsspc*rngtai ntmsaeoeieepslai ec t oa*og icc oumnsuocns o.ylfrrphousn*v oy t n ,isttoeti ifmpeueust *in uia neheegachanteerTapb r -s*n rcsdodesdnreectuyrdehshl wsse*gea uwf it i ltten eiteeoiaipte* stsh redasiiaiantiia twsrder *.tita b becvnntttonn oehdi era*a hortldr i th u iug ienio c *eny Ti ateenaosirscasts bgptem*d hstyridcrn daorntsiehtphto*eewhwe rgsme,paoeue retrctiehtr*vyo osur or hrularauloeofmmaeie*e rr pedlarnoliroictcf m.c ol*lktweay itdc cerseet.e atonvo*dse rrieh a)awms u pdhf op*.dnenrettla,rtltee lom* igseo.rehaahmtufe*sddbacneinhm*tytedctee IesmctTslapwocNoswpostFwm‘iapaintikpeorunnhohhhebroefihfeyriusnnolnehceocmor timreaglaru ga npetcehdspdweoyehmthfmo raeckrntsoehhne she nbttstauoutouec t ai igf sriab.oishgohestnnws ngdyitfbrooibbt acoeltommeHmseiiiri h chiiarrtieer ct oofea eostmFccia a,clpmyeltddiolbao klreseoewmaatsl aih ’di. ewi‘apfeven ,rxonCoiltitminte t anelp Bsfe tt tprahfdoini ttyrirgl rl otetiIoorlNva -gfaongnedi sefueoinixhan edceirt2r nttg os e soicasattcpel s ouglh0omdhphstt s trstcscoo/ae lsmraeetuso eaoeyhiah h trh h f4 ryoimats hn‘odrifimtantaea fio i io‘ote a todMmesn rgbet is cncee npdth nhtmrealer tK lcosl o ap irvn rio deha dcia n oaoeltieognficoecotf ey ’n iaausbnNcsetatrr icm’smetei esnlnritateeina,d ntienote se/orcatdadsehlux1sunwes degwwaofa n5wrtar el r9r wn ephie rimta lr nt.rirtn l y8a gieatspmsInvSohsdflii litaiauvr r0rths ra sBaiorre rryanatovotaTae isehdtisolllhnete aaao lgnireninhgsm ’rrnstia latlh wncnm ffgnyl odee eseuc yssasasaai daro oiuug n o n wciptssg nogtsp ieniitusla’athafatt pteh/oedmI’i rmalvnwnhn g luan naylo r3c essfoos wee ovedaew isd lprec o i o rndi,p’ovnrvia l.al b oesuuaetosussa o9anratdetnmas ylog bglgtsfymhc ns0oniulkstra o o.Tuurelthesop aiats sspt to,thyted m hsnaeou senenpniti.hia n hee wixeeheAtdpnbr ntsd doaab aonsaniatotdcraa lrah aets, ni mlbn w ttrNonshiinnptarenl i .hnaee iit wi e o a eftisphtireiaed y.ftbnthhrvolf wwfcttis eoeeseslie riutheioeifp teoelhonrnouss da gmoctr ytl fTl h rreet geifg . tthapm o eahlaoskea h apnaun h tihttna d leeqibuce nrearrermsmghoIaouedrl t uterrnrcttl iweioei annt cnst ha t endat B ye sog xit. e efeliac nisrid adr nna dtdiaoictigohosts a oaoah nft epenod phwoftedtidl ryehafhehe’tooiessesffc context
Main Text / Subheading 78 Language without Boundaries / Isotype and Linguistics
/ Isotype and Linguistics / Value
The main body of the
ditrinaslhultoi u sinssttsce eh tauotrsel san oi santfenioir oo.egao nnE stis sin xideo ntcareef lin euf nt tdadhdthy ceeeeeph dd xp e pc aifcnhalgaa aceinppet aat,tti tleooilocirnkrseys OAB2276out..tot ooRDk bsoNig itoVehiotguaalrr.,laa 2Ppcth.–oh’1Esdy 0x eui,cns ne1 pFsr9peuu4etbt7su l –birfse5reho5leomdwTlswtLtfwlwob‘pwlpiaeohhiofrngihhoantholfeekittglinenroigrem teeotcrduIotsec su rwhs eN.wesi.irmsna o spr, TsTgo tmeb’tome l.ti y eetrwhhucywrhThedpe ree eieawipsecaemnhalr n nhn rlu ttueo ef saihhietaionc nnrynnhbiasnesodrissicgy lgnetymtg tmseeiim as eip siisssaw n inamseb toalnfrb tgeladigaemiff h ox n b soc w wtueIluent eeolhrdshdirs saf a monspaiieoewte sttnhttonvadty u rei ageeesenrp u mrdyfe‘asdar negemboa.s cgmd e t t.e heraoIaoi iphabmnol it gainnflnrpe nevtn’ miid i rleii snetnsLfaaca dh o ocsnldtngtdoa lyoileofedgyb ptlif m crofi s suyclnibfotaaieiwao eabyggg e ut lglranponeohna ilelsuenddocifleespnyn . se e d gi rwhst ietbrTpaer tmth adaeaor‘aeatrhasb s s dp emmeootftm ieliooh aesnfnantc e mr ayt stfae‘gadsimhkideu sin. o iipem sab itnane Tnag’lh tbte cod d iisewoilhh‘teltiyth ldlaifsab s ehayeofirerifl ed py dgeo’llen ao2ryas ni cr6ssetitinty t o tsgh odanorcoip semnlnea tet a u’muthb ft ss lhsoctbhltla cueta ibr oeu iarena iiinvnl rnimltgnrnygobdeeige hgdd trtmed pudothhgthya hioa iftet rfaetitn ghessifno onnIroeiib ees u mttt wrnsalo.yse hap eeib.ns a tnIig efnaicl yeLniytn ani tot pl‘wn srieagl aswolkye p rn lnasfwtteae m.aoo yhd hsa rocyTasyw rl eoebtifoi yt min tr thrutoo ogsiohitinpolitbnuos gei ndfone tnoosolg’ssr.f,
explain unusual terms. Ts(wwigahhnse a nftso oaNrmt ‘eiaenuu tsrteiaogntmnhds eoc dbwa iltelloeer’ ed b w aeaal nsas o ‘usa iunmgscneoh-duaf onninrgt-- eqspdiuig cwinttue hp redeatir’hf)af eloerlrer ie ltp n owatfr astasi to wpufaa oartr itdro oo-nfbas daa. s Fssetaodafr tel itaesytnxi acgsmaiugla pnigll.lee uI,.s s otthtryaepteion
‘wstswIeyhnnihmits ish pcebpoh aootu lroscstts ,o ii wudcbwuelridhlsliitat etrbirtynoeh yI goesi f rpnl wi clgktiohht em tedeuhny bpeb iiiw enrtai i enninvrsgdige s r uatiethnbhgae laliein nrsp ogtdorolsewae dccwteoo iraohmm.ns i Tcbb thaiihhnn newieed sd p a sa ucisiocm tntauti iitlvdln daetig fh rbfe eeetls oer ybpmgemounetettbttnh ootwetmlo sragb iyeeoontslffoh. ’dsnte2ihirgn7fe sfg o ejlarroe ley isnw noIt o ictrnwood moaask.y b ssIii pntne a wcitaaiolsns
TTua‘o‘tcRsocaiospbAhhohadpnhrfni goee doblapdcpe ofll htrirnhweo.li lncbhtat’i stgaecp vioIgnc.ejyofsane ieriotn m n Qocn’itgcbtr. olcigt ahictltobeuygeToensyloen doat dhhpwspta rmh.nil twea tmd eeode b tft bboaod difeihsyetSriiyyrfii sen c tvn oias (mpe‘lamreaaeocgcdc ri ns t.a btacib mdsh ve ednrlkotyeeiaa’ to uen smildlln iyt .lug msd–sf i.fbofse oiovbactor raaltiremolsenr ricfclseoykedrs)Tdrotoheeuuhpestre crd ice rmasoistybeelpmlendeost cbr aattaoniasgvl ndsr‘e a ci uncgecsuo eoeol- ntdlfouos lucbrndiesygo’i, ne ustwryhgs mnh ea‘ eii bIcccsshoooso.n tml isyHis.pcm eTa’e o aIshannnules sdct aoeci gt‘ exusprasyitosmcemfiuunspblhlttl osueos ly rwtihaomceel’ dtb sighm ioagielv pn peadlssrree ebtmsihfsipet eairtrtnthaee traen .ytr chuN een se deae foteou ouebrrfrp aj weettlh cyhhot eae fu i tttsnl csaiNdchenkeleegfrld uuesb tr aietoangoitone hdg
DDaathr fiieeigg xmciitteleaadoall s nrtcC loucyodom dmdeesbi smfeafrero renoe f np edatx irafgarmidotmsipg.l m eTe aohs fcew h aa h oldetpirhhgeeai rteb aaealct nh cido sod tfaeh .rtehg ueco addbielg yhitass AAacncoorunnndemeaat nsillnb ooofegguotr uuro c ueeolre fseCca podsrocdri adgoealeisdnet su.asd ,cr A tfbeiun uopnnata cl,arto iaagrosedun iewo g ofcimtntoeh dnss eo wmstm rhduaeeostnr ihncse il oafntothtg rehe dm ead xviionasertmt eiao n pldciflkitiexige.oe inatdasl

56
Context / Subheading
The Rebus/ Connecting Writing with Sound
A series of short writings
oribsTaptitnfehhep hnoattleerarpeg hoio cft eeeppk oe‘dtr ra aay nuaeiurtnggptnnso c eiee edenss ax. t mfdi nhtaatnt u yue catgtcahpemh l olmleh er tlbnoi eisesaktteuesaoixeenrugtdtpx ehtwiettn nh esoorien i l’xfsualt xo tt h etst ohts aiieatstaganthoc ntenoehs.anl context 2o&3iaopeaBca4Cdinco nn...xrfeelo a n i gHcdmd1srRBLsWtmopalsii9o uuolgomynplinerm6eCsdsbmnin-tiutsi4uaspusoveii uybannbronIaerdSnnmntlogsionli ic;, tiicoolf, cnb,lbeiai was LcnntagL1yrot ,toe otif,no i9 tolo ocniPvdihraAno9cnhrlcenraitdds n5of.,aei rptf owoo ifsrTCl ceSh.aifnnf ithouoradynYaa:selrsm sugebtlo T titk,utSle(nemhh ehiBatsosmaeeouCg m wrOnueIy)ei-s,ttiesahsdcctiBBdflptacRowwcdpttriWsTW‘HsneLoehhihooooasohofeiheile oaeotvscibeear ehsamumudsoevnotmyt scerwtvot u aethsneleo o e Ehoncsleehdpycdriosesatr ed lislgnaieegveho iomiopn. .lenevf s atw s ebndebrt aemyfapgomTue Ir l,aitg bx naireol phcs u ledm rhslrueepsp‘poire, ey o re egast td oae‘esstseduhutieysi R R ellntnaleocimh ly it icasty eigrdocsnwasocak ctn st emeoodpJ rsosithnsmo mtghiu b gei ldhlnubi 3es ehtsygas‘ eg’ncowTiahnBcti atge yay n m ots hrtwohtengtpsfr amt i s’nahaos rohitfn h.yitamniaprspisa ooc hap fith cara sLbintTeiF yn srartest ecnr hpttetttmoei’ ‘.o sohr wt hoslao narR 2asi ta o‘i’pCwo icTe lcmuenrh gn ic acna bnrdmriua rbg hfoe esciestosarmi eaçtoopioinlc eaa eeel nsrarS eprnmosnybrdoleouEadypgcde s dte4se .lpditirrn kibcnty,g soshu n hf onobp thFhhat so fts sa LtoyiimtneolitCkodca’iecodaslnesrecnmopc a eo oo ss tuo drseuhfeadtntlwCwtteshae nnod’puohciridlan reneu oxatec doeqr -ntalvauagemt ‘ xoidenitpinin LtrnseStf neuodnlc eraseiodo i i ha opatx t nddtafpyondnnwmio tfoa no ibnopavoilgaoo o a otudhsfnito oira etiopnf hl ces rntan lowt miigltmarsitf rhoeei ‘h lihht dd honeteeLc cr sayoettrnseoiaeepicr oeo ex a,nheisex e fc’ cr e a ogaht d tav rm eatvterhsrRop.hhntei(druhiemfeoi nre c 1pihetno daTreeespmb‘bra aa knt er7esreptpgstss hweaxhetiuodeih oeofs9cu ten htlltoeseibsbrosao’rie eett rre0 nt t e oou. fmi euysrullentmshk,f crb –rileebt casln Fcnr ui esset dts 1onaetryadvt eupc a’e’oshtcbeehnuS..a 8idmef deoyetas nthuber omaeu rt Te3Til mdiw ngdde s cro svbokme fsb h2sahoeoa e isare eirat nbooxntbaodesea)eliitfhneu la .s ytgea olgkl onyt oegu iryt.diang‘ r mn,ansgo ib el a ke arnc daet‘’edogasoenuowl.eshllap tdit lsfd,aa’nfeg.efaeos le dnteteoidaih’f-e’lod,.nr
Captions and Footnotes
These appear in the narrow
columns alongside the text. OP19op8spt1eo.rs iftoer. IPBaMu lC Roarnpdo,ration,
(AVA) Left To Right TB
CD706-6/4225