Oltre la forma
Experiments, generative and AI
Description
The present day provides us with ever more sophisticated tools that allow us to perform progressively more complex actions in various fields, pushing us towards experimenta- tion and application in different areas. In the visual context, particularly typography, each technological advancement influences in some way the forms and visual systems that represent the phonetic code. The evolution of typography, under- stood as pure form, is observed through the changing of individual forms over time, while still operating within the same system. With the advent of digital, the possibilities for interaction with the alphabetic system are expanding, encouraging experimentation and the search for new forms to develop innovative visual systems. Kimberly Elam notes that digital has enabled a new freedom of expression in typography, breaking traditional boundaries and allowing for greater fluidity and experimentation in forms. The stroke is the simplest manifes- tation of the black form, and any change in the black form inevitably affects the white form and vice versa. This concept is fundamental to writing theory, where the interaction between positive and negative space defines the perception of form. This theory with the advent of digital becomes applicable to the new tools of visual study, among which the one that fascinates me the most is ‘generative’, which attempts to carry this research forward, creating new ‘pure’ forms based on strict mathematical rules. The conscious use of negative, or ‘white’, space in and around letters is essential for the creation of harmonious and legible typography. This principle is fundamental not only to typography but also to the generation of visual systems based on the contrast between on and off, black and white, 1 and 0. Such systems allow for the exploration of an infinite world of forms, often leading to fascinating studies aimed at inspiration, surprise, and the creation of new forms that nurture human creativity. The use of negative space is reflected in the possibilities offered by generative design, where forms are developed through mathematical algorithms that rigorously consider these interactions between positive and negative space. But how do these generative forms apply to the evolution of typographic design? A useful tool in this quest can be artificial intelligence, which allows forms to be reworked and opens the door to a vast world of experimentation. The question then arises: how can this tool be implemented in the creative process? Artificial intel- ligence seems to find its place above all where the limits of generative design become apparent, namely in the rigidity of predefined rules. It can mediate between the fascinating forms of generative systems and the typographic systems linked to our phonetic codes, generating new forms applied to typography and contributing to the exploration of typographic visual codes. To discover the real usefulness of these tools, the only way is experimentation. Wolfgang Weingart has always emphasised the importance of personal interpretation and experimentation in typography, and the latter will be the focus of this research. What are the implications of using such tools? What are the views on this? I will explore a hypoth- esis of interaction with this tool, trying to relate typography of the past with more recent forms of generative design, in order to understand whether artificial intelligence can offer interesting inputs for the creation of new visual systems.
