this is the original statement that i wrote when this blog began. I have left it here as a reminder to myself about how far along the project has come. It also acts as an explanation as to why my studio is called ‘do you punctuate’.
I hope you enjoy.
April 6th 2009
We use it everyday, for all manner of purposes. It helps define the written language, possession, voice, emotion, emphasis, illustration. It is given an immense task in a world that is weighed down by its demand for more information. The collection of punctuation marks that litter the English language, to some have become redundant and to others, are precious gems that define English, giving meaning and purpose to ambiguity and chaos.
I have wanted to explore the uses of punctuation for many reasons. The first came about when text messaging became popular and a new language developed. I briefly touched upon the text language for my degree and it hasn’t left me since. With the MA, I wanted to understand how a ‘tool of typography’ could possibly survive in such a small place, with fewer than 160 characters for each SMS message. This interest however, has moved into how other electronic devices are changing the way we communicate through the written.
So, the research for the main project has taken me in various directions, written, designed, type set, historically, methodologically, aurally. To name a few. This semester’s work is currently about trying to understand usages of punctuation from an everyday perspective. How do you use it? Do you consider it when handwriting more than when texting? Do you use punctuation in email or whilst using instant messaging programs? Are you precious over what character spaces you have in places like ‘Twitter?’
These are just a few of the questions that I am wanting to answer through my MA, in turn these will become visual representations, through graphic outcomes of illustration, diagrams and typographic means. They might be housed in a book or a poster. I haven’t yet decided the final outcome because I don’t know what the results will yield. That for me, is the most exciting part of all, not quite knowing where this project will take me.