Casey At The Bat

While perusing a used goods store I happened upon this book. I was intrigued and opened it to the first spread and quite simply was blown away! I was not sure why, other than the fact that it was gorgeous, there was something else. I had been noticing things like this in my research for my own personal re-branding of juggling man. I had found old circus and theater posters that were interesting to me. But before all of this - for the last few months - things like this would catch my eye. A vintage poster in a pub, a postcard in an antique shop, an old newspaper. I didn't know what it was about these things but it mesmerized me. How can these people break so many of what seem to me like "rules" of typography but somehow make it all work? How can they so blatantly plow over negative space (something I am fond of) yet still communicate effectively? There were so many things I could not wrap my mind around.

When I found the aforementioned Casey at the Bat wherein a modern artist uses the vernacular established over a century ago to such a stunning effect it ignited a spark into a raging fire. I began consciously and objectively analyzing what it is about this stuff that's so great. I will not go into detail on my conclusions, but suffice it to say that I can tell that this has changed the path of my creative journey a great deal. I suppose you could liken this to an epiphany of some sort. This one random occurrence - finding the book - began a chain reaction that thrust me into a level of graphic understanding I never expected to occur to me. I am seeing connections between things I could not have anticipated were there. Not to mention that I never thought typefaces could elicit such strong emotional churnings within me.

This has taught me a valuable lesson, keep your eyes open you never know what you might learn.

Have you ever experienced something like this? Tell us about it!