Abstract
A common factor in grammatology and typography is written language, which enables an experimental language game in these two fields. In this study, I looked at the definition and status of written language in grammatology and typography. I also studied what the language game is in grammatology, and how it has taken place in typography. I then identified some common characteristics between grammatology and typography. Based on these common factors, I concluded that written language itself is an element which can inspire creativity in each area.
To begin, grammatology refers to the study of language as developed by Jacques Derrida, whose purpose was to recover the status of written language which had been oppressed by verbal language throughout Western history. “Language game” is a term that appeared in his book on grammatology, and is also an experimental method he used to reveal his distinct epistemological perspective in most of his work. Thus, according to Sang-soo Ahn’s definition, typography is a creative field of activity that uses written language in its own unique way.
This study was conducted under the assumption that both grammatology and typography have a common denominator, which is the written language. Another assumption was that designers who work with types as well as create new ones should have a broad knowledge about other fields of study that affect graphic design, such as history, literature, linguistics, and philosophy because typography is not only a functional tool for graphic design, but also an independent field in and of itself which helps individual designers deliver their message.
Based on these premises, the introduction in my thesis sets forth several questions to be addressed, as well as the scope, the nature, and the method of my research. The first chapter deals with the status of the written language in both grammatology and typography, how writing has been distorted in Western history, pointing out the periodical changes in those two areas. In the second chapter I looked at the definition of “écriture” (a multivocal French word meaning the written language, writing, literary style or orthography) which was used by Derrida for the recovery of the written language. I then observed how the term indicates a language game in grammatology. In the third chapter I looked into how a language game has taken place in typography fields, especially in the challenging period of modern typography, from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. Finally, in the fourth chapter, I analyzed some of the typographic art attempted by innovative movements such as the symbolist poets of France, Italian Futurism, Dadaism, and Fluxus.
This study is centered on the idea that typography art should be based on a deep understanding of formative aesthetics and the concept of written language. Needless to say, the most important purpose of typography is to accurately convey the meaning of text. However, typography should in no way be limited simply to being a means of communication, and the ways of using written language in grammatology and some experimental attempts of modern typography strongly support this idea.