FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

The master of worldplay

The master of worldplay

Typographer Sean Freeman delights Bangkok shoppers with cheerful letters to tell their own stories

THE GIRLS giggle as they mix and match metre-tall letters and ampersands of hard sponge to form their nicknames. Their snapshots of their creations are immediately shared online. The atrium zone at Siam Center is a playground. Passers-by can’t seem to resist joining in to play with the multicoloured alphabet.
This is how Englishman Sean Freeman prefers presenting his typography designs – interactive for the crowd – rather than illustrating magazines and advertisements for the likes of Nike and Microsoft. He wins awards for that work, but getting ordinary folks to play with them – mixing and matching like they do with clothes – is way more fun. 
It reminds people that “pop” means “popular”. 
“We wanted to come up with artwork that really ties in with this space as well as with the concept of fashion itself, so we made the letters out of fabrics,” Freeman says. The sponge is covered in jazzy fabric prints – “eclectic looking yet paradoxically structured”. 
“It’s a bit like clothes fashion,” he says. “Things can be a bit crazy and sometime unexpected, but in the end all makes sense when coexisting – that’s what makes it exciting and ever-changing.” 
The typographical installation, “Absolute Siam Fashion Capital Installation Art”, is no doubt a first for Thailand – the way it gets viewers involved. It continues through April 9.
From the fashion runways Freeman has purloined the textiles, colours, hair gels and nail polish. The designs are photographed and then ink-jet-printed on the fabric.
“The idea is to get people enjoying the artwork in a participatory way so that it evolves through various combinations,” says the man behind the London studio There Is, which produces typographical art for various applications, including posters for indie bands.
Freeman respects the power of words and loves the idea that the way words are formed visually can be controlled. His typography installations feel organic to the touch as he explores the potential of various materials. He’s incorporated noodles, seaweed, biscuits, candy, vines and flowers in his textural innovations.
“The ‘real’ aspect remains crucial,” he says. “I love that you can feel it. I also enjoy controlling stuff that’s sometimes a bit out of control and chaotic. 
“Some might call this old-fashioned, but for me the beauty is in the details of an object, in its natural imperfections. That’s what makes my treatments look very rich and tactile and sets them apart from computer-graphic design.”
The “stuff” is everywhere to be found, Freeman says. “You just constantly keep an eye open for fun-looking things and collect interesting elements for future use. 
“But, at the same time, being under pressure has proven beneficial. It’s often when facing either time or budget constraints that don’t allow the use of conventional materials that we get the most unexpected ideas. That’s how we discovered that some candies can look like germs, dry shampoo gives beautiful powdery textures, hair gel mixed with paint looks like petrol, and ice can replace glass.”
To Freeman, even the tiniest detail counts, and the possibilities are endless. He once fashioned the word “danger” out of snakes. His arrangement of vines announced an upcoming gig for the band the Decemberists. If food is being advertised, he might bake cupcakes and pour real cream in to form the words with delicious allure. 
In choosing a letter font for a specific project, Freeman uses a process of elimination. “Certain typefaces are meant for certain situations. If you had something like the word ‘help’, in most cases you’d naturally envision it written really big and mega-bold, as opposed to a really delicate, fancy script. That would be perhaps more suitable for something like ‘love’.”
Freeman earned critical acclaim for two magazine covers with a war theme. Time’s cover story was on Osama bin Laden. The New York Times Magazine was addressing the animosity between Israel and Iran. Freeman used heavy, “torn” typefaces that seemed to crack and explode in smoke.
“Illustrating violence without being too graphic involved doing something more symbolic,” he says. “Not showing blood was mandatory, for example. In that perspective, the treatment had to be explored, and the task at hand was to find visual elements that translated into this dark and intense idea in a more subtle way, while still being easily recognisable.
“The interesting thing about creative lettering is that you’re not necessarily strictly bound to fonts. Because we’re dealing with physical objects, it’s all about customisation. You want really specific artwork for a unique headline with the most meaning and impact. The biggest challenge is to be at the same time readable, beautiful and meaningful.”
Freeman’s trickiest challenge to day, technically speaking, was an ad for Wintermint chewing gum. The words had to look as though they were gradually transforming from “merely” ice cold to arctic frosty, on the verge of shattering. 
“Also the type was dimensional on the left and right of the image. Basically each letter had to be given an individual effect within the spectrum from clear ice to arctic frost. We achieved the visual transition by physically playing with ice at a variety of temperatures and through photography set-ups, lighting and amazing cinema special effects.”
When he initially sets out to conceptualise a typeface, Freeman first thinks “about the feel of the words, then the type-design elements, such as style, tone and legibility”. By the end he’s focused on “matching the natural characteristics”. 
“There’s also a good proportion of sweat and definitely a decent helping of coffee consumption in the recipe too. Passion and patience are also very important ingredients to finesse the flavour too.”
Freeman is asked whether his second visit to Thailand has given him any ideas. “What inspires me most is definitely the great beauty of the Thai alphabet – it looks so fluid and ornate. I would love to do a project in Thai someday. 
“Apart from that, I have to admit that one thing makes me really jealous: the profusion of incredibly high-quality traditional craftsmanship, as well as natural resources of all sorts. You have woodcarving, weaving, mosaics, painting, metalwork, gems, flowers – enough for a lifetime of projects. Who knows, maybe someday There Is will open a studio under the Thai sun!”
  
 
SPELL IT OUT
>>The installation “Absolute Siam Fashion Capital Installation Art” by Sean Freeman continues through April 9 in the atrium of Siam Center. 
>>It’s open daily from 10 to 10. Call (02) 658 1000, extension 2267, for details.
>>Find out more about Freeman’s work at www.ThereIs.co.uk.
 
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