VISUAL ARCHAEOLOGY OF LETTERING: RECONSTRUCTING HISTORICAL FORMS IN CONTEMPORARY TYPE DESIGN

Abstract

The aim of the article is to study the evolution of letter forms and identify the relationships between archaic examples of writing and modern interpretations of Ukrainian type designers. In the context of the proposed study, “visual archaeology” involves considering the letter symbol as a multilayered graphic sign, which recreates historical, cultural and technological stages, where each font symbol is the result of a long process of transformations, from changing the writing instrument, materials, stylistics to functional requirements. The article examines the development and formation of writing in Ukrainian lands. The main stages of the development of Ukrainian written traditions are characterized using the examples of the handwriting of the statute, semi-statute, ligature, cursive and first printed samples. The synthesis of archaic graphic forms with modern design approaches is investigated. In particular, using the examples of the Dukat, Klynok typefaces, Palitura, Hryvnia and Zahar fonts, the preservation of traditional features that have undergone modifications and have been modernized through innovative rethinking is examined. A comparison of established letter constructions with the forms of their author's interpretations, modernized by modern type designers, is made. It is determined that in the conditions of digitalization, the demand for the use of typefaces with national features is increasing. The prospects for creating font solutions based on native elements of the cultural heritage of Ukraine in the conditions of digitalization are outlined. It is proven that the appeal to historical letter forms as the basis of modern font design contributes to the creation of fonts with a distinct cultural and national identity, thereby ensuring the preservation and popularization of the cultural heritage of Ukraine. Further research into the visual archaeology of the Ukrainian letter is necessary for a deeper understanding of the features of the Cyrillic alphabet and the creation of projects that will emulate the cultural heritage of Ukraine and take into account the adaptability of historical typefaces in the digital environment