WULST

My name is Christian Löffel. This blog serves as documentation for my bachelor thesis in visual communication at the HGK Basel (Academy of Art and Design). WULST is a 400 page condensate of lyric poetry and prose from Lucerne-based author Pablo Haller (*1989). The selection covers the first ten years of his work [as an independent writer] and provides the foundation for my visual interpretations. My focus lies on creating an equivalent relationship between text and graphic arrangement in order to obtain a unique visual-textual product. The final form will be the outcome of this creative process.

[wulst-prozess]

Gestaltung ist Faltung 3 x 3 gefaltete Gedichte von Pablo Haller

In meiner Bachelorthesis habe ich mich mit der Bildhaftigkeit von Typografie auseinandergesetzt. In unserer Kultur ist die typografische Form der Lesbarkeit des Textinhalts häufig untergeordnet. Hier möchte ich mit meiner Arbeit ansetzen. Das typografische Bild soll äquivalent zum textlichen Inhalt sein.

Ich habe dies anhand dreier Gedichtzyklen des Luzerner Dichters Pablo Haller, *1989 erörtert. Die Zyklen tragen die Titel "tanger", “sisyphos” und “schlachtereien” und bestehen aus je drei Gedichten. Durch Faltung erreiche ich eine Strukturierung des Blattes, welche mir eine Reorganisation des Gedichttextes in Abhängigkeit der Faltstruktur ermöglicht. Die Faltung nimmt inhaltlichen Bezug zum Gedichttext und zur Thematik der jeweiligen Serie. Das Gedicht kann durch den Prozess des Auffaltens unter Umständen linear gelesen werden. Das geöffnete Blatt als Folge des Auffaltens repräsentiert auf formaler Ebene die komplexen, fragmenterischen und assoziativen Momente des Gedichtinhalts. Typografische Form und textlicher Inhalt geraten dadurch in ein Gleichgewicht.

[wulst-prozess]

sisyphos' journey from spain to greece.

[wulst-prozess]

like we used to do it in the first semester. I will now print this somehow ond a paper that I will then fold like you see it in picture 1

[wulst-prozess]

concept + intuition.  all I need:  – a poem by pablo  – a piece of paper – a calligraphy pen

[wulst-prozess]

EX - PLI - zieren

[wulst-prozess]

Status Quo: “Die Sau” / “Das Fleisch”

[wulst-prozess]

First sketches of “Eid al-Kabir” from the Tanger series

[wulst-prozess]

The last sunrise at “Haus am See” in Kastanienbaum after a one week residency. I’ve mostly been working on the slaughter poems and a logo for the WULST project at that time. The logo itself is a reflection about reading/watching of signs/type. For those who can’t figure it out: Haller Löffel / Poetry Poster

[wulst-prozess]

And now all of the three slaughter-poems...

[wulst-prozess]

For those who don’t get it: The last “t” of “vermisst” (engl.: missed) is the cross in the center.

To be honest: deeply inspired by Dan Solbach

[wulst-prozess]

a first try. trying to play with the impossibility of combining poetry and poster.

[wulst-prozess]

Background draft for a poster based on haller’s poem “das fleisch” (the meat) and the process of sausage production. The word “kneten” means “knead”. Let’s see what it’s gonna turn out to be like in the end.

[wulst-prozess]

I needed some structure!

I came up with 4 categories for Pablos lyrics, in order to give some structure to the text Those categories are: – Suff & Schande – Sick City – Étrangeté – Meat Grinder I know, they all might sound a little tough... because they are

[wulst-prozess]

A typographic sketch of Pablo Hallers “Nachtgebet” which refers to the “Jutz” (a traditional swiss shout)

[wulst-prozess]

Bibliotheca Avgvsta

Recently I spent five days at the baroque style Herzog August Library, known also as _Bibliotheca Augusta_, in Wolfenbüttel, Germany.

In addition to medieval reproductions of ancient Greek and Roman picture poems by Porfyrius, Simias and Dosiadas I was also fortunate to be provided an insight into artist's books by famous artists and authors. Amongst them were collaborations between Max Ernst & Ilia Zdanevitch, Pablo Picasso & Pierre Reverdy, Joan Miro & Paul Eluard, Eduardo Chillida & Martin Heidegger as well as individual works by Kurt Schwitters, Theo van Doesburg, Franz Mon, Emmett Williams and Jesper Johns.

The artist's books illustrate the possibility of equivalence between poetry and visual appearance by creating a dialog between image and text over the course of several pages. At times the visual predominates the textual content, sometimes it’s the other way around. Herein lies the fascination of these works – the poetry of text-to-picture synthesis creating a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.

[wulst-prozess]

Poster dealing with the subject “My God” (german: “Mein Gott”) in the Imagination-seminar with Jiri Oplatek and Viola Diehl at HGK Basel. I tried to come up with a visual offer beyond the explicit content of the two combined sentences: ”In the sight of god, all men are equal / In the sight of men, all gods are equal.” It is Interesting to see how the meaning, associations and conotations change by using different colours...

[wulst-prozess]

First one: I screenprinted the whole text black and then the negotiations again in white.
2nd one: Negotiations in white, the rest in black. Here it’s interesting to see how the impression of the print depends on the light. (see 3rd picture) original lyrics: I don't know what I don't love and I can't love what I don't know be a white dove or a black crow I keep going, I keep flowing on https://youtu.be/vB_v5rlWgBc