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Experimenting with Speculative Letterforms to Promote Body Image Diversity

Version 2 2024-12-17, 03:02
Version 1 2022-08-18, 02:46
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posted on 2024-12-17, 03:02 authored by David SargentDavid Sargent

While contemporary visual design practice often claims to bring diversity to our landscape—typically alongside buzz words, such as ‘strategic brand differentiation’—the reality is very different. A combination of increasingly sophisticated software and uncritical, aesthetically driven design education has produced an industry that is complicit (even unconsciously) in constructing a marketing-led visual culture that homogenises rather than diversifies. Nowhere is this more prevalent than in the representation of the human body, where the imperfect, the unfinished, and the natural is being increasingly exchanged for the perfect, the polished, and the fantastic. 

The dominance of the perfect ‘thin’ and ‘masculine’ body shape ideals—a cultural construction of our patriarchal society—are displayed predominately and seductively wherever we look. It is little wonder, then, that negative body image has become such a widespread social issue in Australia and around the world, particularly for (typically female, but increasingly male) adolescents. 

To date, efforts to promote positive body image messages have not considered how visual designers can contribute other than using the same marketing-led approaches that promote negative ones. This has resulted in a variety of approaches, including the current trend of using photographic representations of ‘diverse’ and ‘healthy’ people, which unfortunately only serves to replace one narrow set of ideals with another. However, visual designers can contribute in this area by exploring alternative and more appropriate strategies to communicate these messages.

This collection of animation and other digital artworks experiment with promoting a positive body image message through the utilisation of diverse typographic forms, ranging from perfectly symmetrical computer-generated to incomplete, unconventionally proportioned brush letterforms. The characters are vivid, constantly changing, overlapping, mixing and moving in and out of sequence. The result is designed to look somewhat unfinished and unresolved, ultimately aiming to communicate the message that individuality, difference, and spontaneity are not only acceptable but also more desirable than the dominant cultural messages it aims to subvert.

History

ERA Category

  • Original Creative Work - Design/Architecture

Funding type

  • Other

Eligible major research output?

  • Yes

Research Statement

Negative body image is a widespread social issue, particularly effecting adolescents who judge themselves against unattainable ‘perfect’ thin or muscular ideals. As cultural intermediaries, visual communicators often find themselves perpetuating these ideals, however also possess the ability to subvert them. The current practice of employing photographic representations of ‘diverse’ and ‘healthy’ bodies only serves to replace one ideal with another, so my research investigates alternative approaches. Specifically, I am investigating how typographic forms can be used to generate counter narratives that expose these hidden ideals and promote self-acceptance and positive body image. This collection of creative works looks to challenge established conventions and disrupt traditional Roman letterforms via the creation of mismatched, misshapen, overlapping, and experimental letterforms. Their unique appearance expands the discourse of design and typography by questioning what a letterform looks like, and importantly, what it represents. Ultimately, the works aim to communicate that individuality, difference and spontaneity is not only acceptable, but hopefully more desirable than the dominant cultural messages it aims to subvert. This collection of outputs demonstrates key moments in the evolution of this idea, from earlier, more recognisable letterforms, to more visually complex, yet still legible, letterforms. These works were exhibited in various exhibitions in multiple locations: Crane Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Minnesota State University in Mankato, Minnesota; and Shandong College of Art in Jinan, Shandong.

Publisher

Conkling Gallery, Minnesota State University

Place of publication

Mankato, MN, United States

Confidential / Culturally sensitive

  • No

Language

English

Number of discrete components

3

Did the work go on tour?

  • Yes

Outlet title language

English

Name of publication

Project Passion

Reference number

104238

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