Studies on Type &Image Relationship

Due to the dichotomy between text and image, we see that usually a
separation is assumed between typographical and visual elements.
Depending on the cultural conventions or social habbits of the time era
one or the other is given the priority. For example, as Barthes have
observed, in the past the text was given the priority in newspapers.
Images were considered as a supplement to what was written (the story).
Today, it is the reverse in most popular publications: The image is given
the priority and text stands as supplementary (Roland Barthes, Image
Music Text, 1977).

It is difficult to propose a superiority of text over image, or the image over

text. Moreover, it is equally difficult to separate them with a clear border.
In the following images can you clearly identify whether it is text or image
that you see?
Niklaus Troxler, Ellery Eskelin, Han Bennink Jazz Concert, 2000.
The Alphabet.

MM Paris, The Alphabet, 2004.

MM Paris, The Alphabet, 2004.

SOME STRATEGIES FOR CONSTRUCTING EFFECTIVE & DYNAMIC
TEXT-IMAGE RELATIONSHIPS*

A) The interaction
of word and image.
It concerns a conceptual/
visual synergy between
word & image. When the
image and text come
together they interact,
and like the closing of a
circuit they trigger a new
meaning.

Joseph Mller-Brockmann,
Stop Noise Pollution, c. 1960.
 A) The interaction of
word and image.

Gunter Rambow, Die Ruber (The Robbers), 1998.

A) The interaction of word and
image.

Micheal Bierut, logotype.

A) The interaction of word and
image.

Renata Sas, Objekt als Zeichen

(graduation poster), 1996.
A) The interaction of word and
image.

Stefan Sagmeister, poster for AIGA meeting, 1999.

B) The juxtaposition of text and
image. It involves a conceptual/visual
union of text and image. Theres a
strong dialogue between the two, and
they visually act and work together.

8vo, poster for Beuningen Museum, 1989.

B) The juxtaposition of text and image.

Bradbury Thompson, Westvaco Inspirations, 1958..

 B) The juxtaposition of text and image.

Joseph Mller-Brockmann, poster, 1955.

 B) The juxtaposition of text and image.

Alexey Brodovitch, spread for Harpers Bazaar (photo by Man Ray), 1935.
B) The juxtaposition of text and image.

Frost Design, poster for Theatre Festival, 2001.

B) The juxtaposition of text and image.

Thomas Wedell, booklet (Our Movement Problems).

B) The juxtaposition of text and image.

Paul Rand, ad. for pharmaceutical co., 1943.

B) The juxtaposition of text and image.

Sven Michel, poster for exhibition, 2002.

The fusion of type and image. The borders between text and image melts,
so that it is difficult to identify which one is image, and which one is text.
This technique has other subcategories which are: (C) Image as letter;
(D) Letter as Image; (E) Word as Image; (F) Text type as
Image.

C) Image as letter

Gene Federico, poster for Womans Day, 1953.

 C) Image as letter

Herb Lubalin, editorial design.

 C) Image as letter

Paul Rand, book cover, 1993.

 (D) Letter as Image:

Bradbury Thompson, magazine for Westvaco Inspirations, 1949.

(D) Letter as Image:

Herb Lubalin, logotype, 1965.

 (D) Letter as Image:

Tom Geismar, lettermark for Knapp Shoes.

 (D) Letter as Image:

Paula Scher, logotype for a candy store, 1988.

(D) Letter as Image:

Rudy Mayer, poster for Arabella

Richard Strauss concert,
(E) Word as Image:

Diana Graham, logotype for Backdoor Art Gallery.

(E) Word as Image:

Ivan Chermayeff, logotype for George J. Ball Inc.

(growers & distributors of seed of plants)
(D) Letter as Image:

Georges Calame, ad. for a furniture

company, 1994.
(D) Letter as Image:

Georges Calame, ad. for a furniture

company, 1994.
(F) Text Type as Image:

Lewis Caroll, The Mouses Tale,

from Alices Adventures in Wonderland, 1865.
(F) Text Type as Image:

Guillaume Apollinaire, Landscape,

concrete poetry (a.k.a visual poetry), 1913-1916.
 (F) Text Type as Image:

Paula Scher, poster

commemorating Toulouse-Lautrec, 2001.
 (F) Text Type as Image:
Reza Abedini, film poster, Dreams of Dust, 2003.(left)

Reza Abedini, poster for flute recital, 2005. (right)

(*) The classification of text-image relationships and the information used here are partially taken
from the book Type and Image: The Language of Graphic Design, by Philip B. Meggs.
(http://gra401.tumblr.com/post/204127705/studies-on-type-image-relationship-summary)
 Lets see what kind of image and text
relations are existed in these slides?