Words in black and white?

Experiments based on typographic signs and text usage in the grey zone of Hungary in the 1960s and 1970s

Abstract

This paper explores the various forms of typography from the late 1960s to the 1970s, from an experimental approach to the new wave of avant-garde tendencies and the integration of new media into art. In our case, the use of letters is not primarily related to the functional-design graphic norms of typography, but can be examined in a multidimensional approach as an autonomous artistic tool. I interpret works of art based on linguistic signs according to the formal and meaning-conveying functions of typography, where form experiments are at one end of the scale and semiotic dominance is at the other. The subject of my study is the proportion in which these are present in the era and whether the involvement of new media pushes the further boundaries of typography. Geographically, the focus is primarily on events, artists and works from Hungary, but there is also a place for Hungarian-speaking “Yugoslavian colleagues”. The reason why only Hungarian artists living in neighboring countries are included in the study is that their pioneering approach to their work allows for a broader interpretation of the experimental nature of typography. In addition, they have been active participants in progressive art events in Hungary for many years and are thus directly connected to Hungarian artists in our country.