Socialist features of a typeface

[shessler]

This topic was imported from the Typophile platform

A tricky one, perhaps: What features would be regarded as "socialist" or "left-wing" in a typeface?

I am here looking beyond the cliché of old russian revolutionary posters with condensed sans-serifs and cryllic-inspired features. Are there any contemporary typefaces made today that would be regarded socialist?

[jbtroost]

I'd say a bold sans serif in white on red/black will do nicely. No fancy ligatures or elegance here...
There's a left wing party here in The Netherlands (SP) having their campaigns in that style.

Just my 2c.

Cheers, JB

[typodermic]

Yeah, that is a tricky one.

[Riccardo Sartori]

I don't think you can define such features as features of the font. As JB suggests, it's more a matter of use and presentation.
Or, if your intent is satiric, you could use a font with only left pointing serifs ;-)

[typodermic]

No Gotham jokes? Fish in a barrel.

[dan_reynolds]

There are several typefaces available today that were designed at Typo Art in the former East Germany. These typefaces were mostly for books, and they did try to instil them with "socialist" ideas. For instance, the types shouldn't to too showy, or take up too much space. In other words, they should allow for easy-to-read, economic setting. Look for Karl-Heinz Lange's typefaces at PrimeType, or Lapture at JustAnotherFoundry.com. Lapture is Tim Ahrens's revival of Albert Kapr's Leipziger-Antiqua. Maxima, from Gerd Wunderlich, is sort of experiencing something of a comeback in Berlin and Leipzig, I hear. You can get a digitisation of the fonts from URW.

Search around for a a few more! Also for the Grafotechnica typefaces from the former Czechoslovakia. Some Czechoslovak typefaces from the communist era have also been revived, like Tim revived Leipziger Antiqua into Lapture.

[Andreas Stötzner]

Dan, what you mention has *nothing* to do with socialism or socialistic appeal of any typefaces. Or miss I something?

[dan_reynolds]

Oh, Andreas, I disagree! The people who made these typefaces thought that they were putting socialist features in the typefaces. They said that they were doing this, and they wrote it down. They wanted people to know what they were doing, why they were doing it … and they wanted to be viewed in a certain light. So, if one is looking for a "socialist" typeface, one could consider designers' intent as a possible factor in the selection process. Otherwise, I don't see how you get away from the kind of clichés that shessler is trying to avoid.

As for a "left wing" typeface, I have no idea what could make a typeface left wing. Although, the suggestion to look at what left-wing politicians use in the campaign graphics and literature could be interesting. I doubt much, though, that typeface-choice is that clear cut. I think that, in most republics, the left and the right wings of a political system probably use the same basic pool of typefaces.

[Trevor Baum]

The absolute uniformity of Helvetica was called socialist, but then Paula Scher said that was absurd, considering it's the typeface of so many corporations (capitalism).

[aluminum]

A EULA that claims you are entitled to use it provided you pay your taxes.

[Andreas Stötzner]

Trevor thanks for getting to the point.

Dan R.: The people who made these typefaces thought that they were putting socialist features in the typefaces.

No they were not.

… They said that they were doing this, and they wrote it down.

Can you prove this?!

Even IF they were doing so? just an example. I know G. Wunderlich from my student days. I know his Maxima typeface. And I know that he, well, was not an opponent to the then political system (to say the least). BUT: this is no agreeable reason to define a typeface as being “socialist” or whatsoever.
Maxima is as “socialist” as Univers is “capitalist”. This is rediculous.

[J Weltin]

Gill Sans Condensed was used for signage in former GER. Does this make it socialist? I agree with Andreas that it is nearly impossible to attribute such a feature to a typeface. And the mimickry of typefaces from the Russian revolutionary era definitely aren’t either. I wouldn’t know, for instance, how to put a religious feature into a typeface. Accentuating cross elements in letters, would that make it a Christian type? No, it would just be a special design treatment. But you can’t put belief in a type.

[Té Rowan]

A typeface can have political connotations, but political features? Maybe in the next revision of the OT spec?

[dan_reynolds]

Andreas, are Kapr's late-1970s Ästhetik der Schriftkunst and early 1980s book of collected essays not enough proof? I could look for more, if you want. I think that his writing is fabulous, but he has a clear bias, and writes repeatedly about a socialist program of book design, and also typefaces. There was also a (half-hearted) effort across several Eastern block countries to establish a complete suite of typefaces for all text applications, into which Maxima and Leipziger Antiqua both fit (and rather well at that, too!).

[Si_Daniels]

Dan, wasn't there a recent ATypI talk on this subject? ;-)

[agisaak]

Computer Modern, or anything released under GPL might be viewed as 'socialist', but this is a licensing feature rather than a design feature.

André

[russellm]

Without specifically referencing socialist realism or constructivist art or the hammer and sickle (☭) an A is an A, a B is a B. It'll take content to make it either Commie or wing-nut.

my 2 cents.

R

[cerulean]

Road sign fonts: designed for the public good with tax money.

[William Berkson]

I think to talk sensibly about the issue you need to distinguish between what inspired some work, and what qualities it has to the reader who doesn't know the story behind a design. All kinds of political ideas have influenced people, but in the end a typeface can at most convey a mood or feeling, not a political philosophy. By cultural association it can be more political, but that isn't inherent in the design. Personally I find the innocence of type one of its charms.

[Andreas Stötzner]

@ Dan: Albert Kapr was a communist, already during the third Reich. So it is hardly surprising that he incorporated thoughts of the sort into his writings. But his typefaces (and other designs) show just excellent workmanship and the taste of the time. There is nothing socialist about it even if he would have claimed that it be so.
The propaganda can hardly be the relevant reference. Under the Nazis every rolling wheel was a an approach towards the endsieg, under the Kozis every letter standing upright was a contribution to the final weltrevolution. Do we care?

For Kapr’s works see here

[J Weltin]

The Nazis incorporated Futura into their corporate identity (after they realized that they are failing to be modern with blackletters), which caused Paul Renner stomach-ache, but Futura did withstand this ideology and was never thereafter connected with the Third Reich again. It became very popular again in the 1980’s.
So, like William said: type is fairly innocent.

[froo]

Things are very complicated. As we are designers, our task is (at least trying) to create better solutions. So we should be conscious of broad complexity of certain problems.

First, let's notice, that speaking in language of economy, the systems installed in the countries of the Eastern Block were nothing else than a variety of capitalism, called the state capitalism. (Yoy can agree or disagree, but the above statement isn't important). That slowly lead the economy to ruin, and was - as long as possible - maintained by violence. However there is no denying that these countries maintained some elements of socialism, like free education, healthcare, social security, space planning, etc.

These so-called "achievements of socialism" are not obvious, however. Particularly looking at the example of Germany, where after the unification, some solutions were found to be quiet compatible. In contrast to East Germany, Poland found itself in a difficult geopolitical situation, with the advent of market economy, and today we are dealing with a deliberate and progressive destruction of those (after all-) achievements.

This generates some kind of nostalgy, which is very similar in forms to German Ostalgie. Probably we all miss those anchors of a lucky childhood: symbols of little stability, small prosperity, safety. And probably we don't really miss socialism at all, but just elements of well designed past. I don't care if athors, illustrators and typesetters of my fairytales were socialists. I saved the books, and me and my son use them with joy now, because they have been damn good, despite of poor technologies.

I belive, that the connotations of the idea of socialism can be achieved in typography, only through appropriate, wisely balanced context. If we're fascinated by lettering of propaganda posters, we must be aware that behind the appropriation of avant-garde aesthetics stood the terror apparatus.
If, however, the applied arts of one of the former socialist countries inspire us, remember that it is one of the local varieties of modernism (or whatever else) - and as such will not be properly read everywhere.
The Cyrillic-like games aren't only cliché, but have literally nothing to do with our memories, nor with the topic.

I cannot point any typeface and any formal solution, which could be regarded as "socialist", without knowing a purpose. I can only write, that (both times for NGO's) once I used Chaparral to say "we are here and we demand respecting rights" (and it worked), and Museo to say "something is going to change" (and nothing have changed).

[typodermic]

Any open source font.

[Andreas Stötzner]

Any open source font.

HA-HA-Hahaha !!!

touché.

[William Berkson]

"Socialist" is a term that is used so loosely, and with so many diverse meanings, that if you don't specify what you mean by socialism, any discussion related to it is almost sure to be a ball of confusion.