Gary Hustwit’s first film, Helvetica, addresses the most common typeface in our civilization. Praised by many, hated by many others, it is an omnipresent aspect of urban life in western society.
Paula Scher described the font jokingly as a bit “fascistic” and herself as “morally opposed to Helvetica […and that] if you used Helvetica it meant that you were in favor of the Vietnam War.” This illustrates clearly that designer’s interpretation of Helvetica’s Modernist aesthetic. In other words, uniformity and rationality are the tools of an oppressive society bent on erasing all human diversity.
At the same time, the font appeals to many as a solid but open-ended vehicle for any meaning. At the time of its introduction in the 1950s, Modernist simplicity was overwhelmingly the name of the game. As Mike Parker stated, “it was exactly what the designers were looking for […] I don’t think there’s been such a hot thing since as the figure-ground relationship properly executed,” meaning Helvetica was the summit of the path taken by the designers looking for a solid, universal sans-serif font that embodied all the tenants of Modern design – a sweeping under the rug of traditional forms, and the birth of a style transcending culture and nationality.
Really what a debate on Helvetica comes down to is a debate on your feelings about Modernism itself.
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