Sallyportal: Madly Blogging Reed

Tags


"calligraphy"


Calligraphy Makes a Comeback

By Randall Barton on October 15, 2012 03:34 PM
reedhisttxt-lloyd-j-reynolds-1961.jpg

Reed revives its long history of calligraphy, started by Lloyd Reynolds in 1949.

"Concentrate on your breath and you'll make a better looking L. Breathe in. Breathe out on the downward stroke."

Nearly 30 students, faculty, and alumni hold their Speedball pens at a 45-degree angle and exhaling, grab the baseline with a downward stroke and finish with an exit serif. Next up is the letter O.

"As the O goes, so goes the alphabet," says calligraphy instructor Inga Dubay. "You'll be glad we didn't start with the O, it's not the easiest of letters. But it is a very lovely one in Italic. In handwriting we do the O all in one stroke, but in calligraphy we do a two-stroke O. Please do not do more than three at one time. You will be ill if you do."

Continue reading Calligraphy Makes a Comeback

Calligraphy Returns!

By President John Kroger on October 12, 2012 03:36 PM
calligraphyflyer.jpg

One of the most exciting developments at Reed this fall is the return of calligraphy. As alumni know, calligraphy has a long and distinguished history at our college. From 1939 to 1984, Reed's humanist calligraphy program, under the direction of Lloyd Reynolds and Robert Palladino, inspired countless Reed students who pursued distinguished careers in the visual arts, typography, design, and literature, including luminaries like Steve Jobs and typeface designer (and Macarthur genius grant winner) Charles Bigelow '67.

The new Reed Scriptorium is part of the Cooley Gallery's new Calligraphy Initiative (the brainchild of Stephanie Snyder '91) and was developed and is coordinated by Gregory MacNaughton '89. Stephanie and Greg have both shown immense leadership in bringing this vital program back to the college. I dropped by the scriptorium the other night and it was packed with current students, staff, faculty, and old Reedies alike. Take a look at the Cooley's beautiful calligraphy Tumblr for more information about the program.

Continue reading Calligraphy Returns!

Think Different. (Farewell, Steve Jobs)

By Chris Lydgate '90 on October 06, 2011 01:42 PM
JobsSteveheadshot.jpg

Visionary. Iconoclast. Rebel. There was something about him that always seemed quintessentially Reed.

Steve Jobs was formally enrolled for just six months, starting in the fall of 1972. Short of cash, he did something unconventional--dropped out but stayed on campus, living in Westport. He spent his time auditing classes--including the famous course on calligraphy from Robert Palladino [1969-84], which would later have such profound impact on the pioneering Macintosh.

But it wasn't the number of units he took that marked him as a Reedie. It was the crystalline intensity, the obsession with ideas, the hunger for perfection.

Continue reading Think Different. (Farewell, Steve Jobs)

Calligraphy Leaps off the Page

By llindqst on April 08, 2011 02:44 PM
Lloyd-home.jpg

The greatly anticipated exhibition, Lloyd Reynolds: A Life of Forms in Art, has begun its run in the Cooley Art Gallery. Just hours after it opened, Robin Tovey '97 and I convened at the Hauser Library and headed to the gallery. An arresting exhibition poster hangs just outside, featuring an enlargement of Lloyd's piece "Calligraphy for People." It's a powerful piece--the words connect to one another through serpentine pen strokes--and aptly chosen. Lloyd, who was passionate about teaching, made this "beautiful writing" accessible to people in all walks of life, just as he made calligraphy at Reed prestigious worldwide...

The glass gallery doors carry a stenciled image of Thor's thunderbolt and Poseidon's trident, one of Lloyd's symbols that is featured in the show. Inside, we found outreach coordinator Greg MacNaughton '89, and curator Stephanie Snyder '91, along with gallery registrar Colleen Gotze, were busily putting the finishing touches on signage.

Continue reading Calligraphy Leaps off the Page

Home Page

Archive of Posts