ART 341 / Week 2

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Week 2 — Assignment “Letters Tour”
Discuss + Studio due Sunday (end-of-day). Reply to other people’s posts by Tuesday.

Project 1: Letters in the World—a visual study of letters in your world and creative translation of this knowledge into an image series. This project begins with you taking walks around outside with your phone/camera—and documenting every instance of letters and numbers or linguistic marks you encounter—get up close and capture detail. Pay attention to the unique formal/language qualities, materials and colors, and situated contexts of these design artefacts. In the weeks ahead, you will use these photos—to create a presentation of different organizations and use them in translation to create original visual compositions.

1/

Discuss:
Watch the 2019 Typographics Festival presentation by Ed Fella—Analog Letterforms to the Nth Degree
Write your response (200 words minimum) as a comment to this post.
Questions:
1. When describing his work, what does he mean by connotative and denotative?
2. What is Fella’s teaching philosophy?
3. On a personal note, what inspired you about Fella’s design work and life story?

Reply to at least two other people’s posts (below). Due Tuesday.

2/
Studio:
1. Do a walk(s) yourself and photograph all the letters, numbers, other language marks (municipal, graffiti, weathered) you encounter.
2. Take a minimum of 50 photos, don’t edit your process yet. Be exhaustive and thorough in your documentation.
3. Upload all your raw photos to your folder on one drive.
4. Write a brief description (2–3 sentences or more) of your project so far below as a comment as well. Where did you walk? Include the link to your work on one drive in your comment.

 

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Links:
further inspiration—watch A Tour of Barcelona Mosaic Storefronts with type designer, Laura Meseguer.

Edward Fella: Letters on America, Lewis Blackwell

 

[from Typographics]—”This talk took place in The Great Hall at The Cooper Union on June 14, 2019. The livestreaming and video recording were made possible by a generous sponsorship from Google.

“My fascination with the seemingly unlimited variety of forms that a proscribed letterform can take before it becomes illegible and ultimately just a trace. This presentation is a quick career-long traverse, with examples ranging from what is still communicative graphic design to a fanciful purposelessness, which could be called art.

“Ed Fella is a former commercial artist and professional graphic designer who practiced for 30 years in Detroit. After receiving his MFA from Cranbrook in 1987, he taught in the graduate Graphic Design program at CalArts in Los Angeles for another 30 years. He is currently a Professor Emeritus and continues working on campus in his studio on a wide-ranging series of his own idiosyncratic projects that stubbornly resist categorization although they freely partake in the conventions of typography, photography, illustration and fine art. The recipient of many awards, his work has been extensively exhibited and published during the last several decades.”

95 thoughts on “ART 341 / Week 2”

  1. 1. When discussing connotation and denotation in his work, he explains how some pieces are meant to evoke emotion without taking the literal form of a letter. Regarding denotation, the artist describes how his work and typography actually take on the shape of the letter or word itself. For example, in his “Joker” typography, the artist makes the words resemble an actual joker card, making the piece literally denotative. In his work examples, he showed a piece where his typography wasn’t actual “lettering,” but upper and lowercase forms that resemble a universal or common alphabet. Here, you can get the idea of letter shapes, although they do not mean anything.

    2. His teaching philosophy is: “Rules are taught to be broken, made to be broken exceptionally.”

    3. What inspired me about the artist’s work is how he combines both digital and traditional forms of lettering. His work has a very exaggerated style, pushing the boundaries of what I thought typography could be or look like. It shows me that being experimental and willing to play around, rather than always playing it safe, is essential for an artist’s growth. Plus, I hadn’t seen this style of typography before, which made it even more exciting. I really loved how his work didn’t just consist of white and black, but a wide range of colors that pushed the boundaries of legibility with typography.

    1. Hi Ava, your entry was really well written. I quite enjoyed how you phrased your answers. Bringing up the digital and traditional lettering is also super interesting to me!

    2. I love how the artist blends digital and traditional lettering, and its very inspiring! Their bold colors and playful, experimental style push boundaries and show how important it is to take risks in art. It’s a great reminder to stay creative and to not be afraid to try new things.

    3. Hi Ava,
      I was also inspired by the exaggerated style of his letter forms and the way he pushes the boundaries of letterform. I thought it was super interesting to see typography in a very artistic context rather than just letters on the page. The way he used colors really added to the artistic value of his work.

    4. Hi Ava, I really like that you were inspired by the idea of pushing boundaries and being more experimental. This is also something I have recently found, being more experimental has actually led me to creating some work that I never thought I could as I am a perfectionist and like neat organised work, but by pushing out of my comfort zone I created some really cool things. I definitely suggest it!!

    5. I agree that he was pushing boundaries with his overall bold design choices, Considering he was able to see typography shift and change throughout the years, its only natural that he would.

    6. I also like his style of exaggeration and it shows how he is not afraid to try different things out of the norm

  2. Fella speaks to the idea of connotation having an end goal of being a way of immersing the type into an enveloping idea. The type takes on a larger symbolic meaning through the intentional design of the letter forms. In this way the type and the concept the type conveys reinforce each other and inhabit the same space. In Fella’s work, some of the pieces have entirely different phrases occupying the same space in a literal sense. With a denotative end goal, the type prioritizes legibility over immersion, suggestion.

    “Rules are taught to be broken, made/meant to be broken only exceptionally.” Fella is alluding to the idea that rules are expected to be broken, but it only really works when you break them well. From the lens of the previous example of bricklaying/cathedral building, I get the sense that Fella wants to impart to students a need to see the world for what it is and what it could be simultaneously. He views the idea of “cathedral building” as pretension, but also at times a necessary component to navigating the graphical space. I find this a very honest take.

    I really appreciate Fella’s intense dedication to experimentation. It reminds me of a familiar notion that there are no wrong notes in jazz, just an opportunity for more complexity. Many of his works feel like they are teetering on the edge of failure but seem incredibly thoughtful and balanced throughout. The last piece shown even being of what Fella describes as an actual mistake that he ran with to see it through. This connects so well with his philosophy of rule breaking with exceptionalism.

    1. Hi Zeus!

      I liked how you described Fella’s philosophy and I also agree that he essentially challenges his students to break the rules but to do it well. To not only see reality but also see what the possibilities are. I really liked his dedication to experimentation as well! How he goes towards the more abstract route and focuses on the essence and art of typography rather than the legibility of it.

  3. Fella defines denotative as the literal meaning of a word in how its represented in design. For example, street signs, most flyers, an instruction manual, etc. would convey their message denotatively. Fella’s work uses text connotatively. His work evokes the vibe or idea of word. It may not be literally legible, but it can be interpreted like a piece of artwork.
    Fella’s teaching philosophy is “rules are taught to be broken exceptionally”. He wants his students to do their work but also to question why they are doing it in the first place. This method of teaching reminds me of Jerome Harris’s way of teaching. Harris tries to teach his students to create critically but not to replicate. I think to create thoughtful work you need to be taught rules so that you can break them in a thoughtful way.
    What inspired me about Fella’s work was how he used his experience with design and applied and subjective meaning to his work. With a field like graphic design legibility is incredibly important to convey one’s message, but with Fella’s work, he conveys his message connotatively. I never thought much about how font, text, and letters can be pushed further beyond legibility, but Fella’s work is truly inspiring.

    1. Hi Mar I really liked your comment for this weeks homework! I agree with your statement about Fella’s work using font and letters and pushing them until you can no longer read them. It is really inspiring to take that into graphic design where many will say you need to be able to read the words on designs.

    2. What inspired me about Fella’s work is how he uses design to create deeper meaning. Fella’s approach shows how fonts and letters can go beyond legibility as well. His work made me think differently about typography and its creative potential.

    3. Hey Mar, I think that the way that Ed Fella tries to bounce back and forth between the connotative and denotative feel. I think that is obvious in the letter forms he did in his work before the turn of the 21st century. I also was inspired with the application of subjective meaning in his work.

  4. 1.When Fella is describing his work he uses connotative and denotative, meaning he often plays with how readable his typeface is, as well as using the font he uses to portray his idea. You can see this in much of his work surrounding his writings, and how he often will abstract something to push the concept of the piece further, oftentimes barely being legible at all. His connotative work is meant to be entirely conceptual, the work’s idea playing off of the typeface and creating something truly artistic, while his denotative work doesn’t go anywhere near a connotative idea, and is to the point with little room to look for a concept.
    2.Fella’s philosophy teaches “Rules are taught to be broken, and made to be broken only exceptionally”, and “do do what they said”, to question what everyone says and research why they say what they do, while doing some of what your teachers says to do.
    3.Fella’s work inspired me because of his abstraction, in my head type face could only be one thing and that’s it. I had never even imagined how much type could explore out and become actual works of art. I’m quite excited to go into class with this new perspective and mindset. (Word count 210)

    1. Hi Lucio,

      I thought the abstraction of his work made super interesting pieces and pushed the boundaries of typography. I enjoyed hearing his story and seeing how he ‘broke the rules’ of art and still succeeded.

  5. When the speaker refers to “connotative” and “denotative” within the video selection, he is speaking on how the two different approaches to typography and design contrast between each other. In reference to denotative, that refers to the direct and quite literal meaning of something. When speaking on the term connotative, that refers to the much deeper and emotional or symbolic meaning of something.
    Fella’s teaching philosophy recognizes that there is a balance between following specific rules, as well as knowing that there are instances where those rules should be broken and knowing when. He encourages students to question authoritative figures and instructors but at the same time, being able to do what they are told and to remain respectful. Basically being able to think for yourself and not to be a “yes man”.
    What inspired me about Fella’s life story on a personal level was the fact that he was never afraid to explore other aspects and experiment. He went from partaking in technical art in Detroit, to teaching and creating art which gave the message that creative careers are not always a straight path and that there will always be room to explore and grow in new ways. I keep having to remind myself of this because as an artist who has had interests and trials within different aspects of art, I would feel as if I had to hurry up and choose a specific medium/aspect of art and stick with that specific thing for the rest of my life and I would absolutely hate that. I never want to be stuck doing one specific thing.

    1. Hello Chris.
      You did a wonderful job at explaining Fella’s philosophical quotes. I agree that Fella wants students to learn how to discover their individual visual languages and abilities whilst still respecting their instructors. It can be a challenge to balance these two factors, yet it crucial to have your own voice as an artist .

    2. Hello Chris,
      You did a wonderful job at explaining Fella’s philosophical quotes. I agree that Fella wants students to learn how to discover their individual visual languages and abilities whilst still respecting their instructors. It can be a challenge to balance these two factors, yet it crucial to have your own voice as an artist .

    3. Hello Chris! I enjoyed reading your response. I agree with you that exploring different things keeps creativity alive, and you don’t have to stay on one path. I think Fella’s story is a significant example of that because you can tell how receptive he is to trying multiple methods and taking his time with each one.

    4. Hi Chris! I love how you mentioned that his path wasn’t an easy one. It’s very inspiring to see someone like himself change and grow in his career.

    5. Hello Chris,
      I agree with you in how inspiring Fella’s story is. Being able to stick to his own niche without feeling stressed is very hard to do, and may be something that all artists feel.

  6. 1. When Fella is describing his work he uses the words connotative and denotative. Connotative is described as words that are not meant to be read, everything possible except for the form of the letter. Whereas denotative is described as words that are meant to be read. Out of the work that Fella shows us in the presentation most of his work is connotative.

    2. After working for years in the typographic field Fella went back to school to get his master’s degree so he could begin teaching. Fella then got a job at CalArts and his teaching philosophy is that rules are taught to be broken, made to be broken only exceptionally. Question what the professors say, but also do it. He even made shirts with this philosophy on them.

    3. I thought it was super interesting how Fella worked in the typographic field for a while and then decided that he wanted to teach. In my experience, most teachers know they want to teach and just do that right off the bat. I think Fella’s experience in the typographic field gives him more knowledge to share with his students. I find it inspiring that he found passion in both artistic fields teaching and producing art.

    On my walk I encountered lots of businesses and even signs I had never noticed before. I took pictures in Downtown Burlington as well as Downtown Graham, here is the link to them!

    https://uncg-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/r/personal/r_riley_uncg_edu/Documents/_Rachele%20Riley/teaching/S25/ART%20341%E2%80%9301/Victoria%20McPherson/Week%202?csf=1&web=1&e=JAqkSv

    1. Hi Victoria! There’s a lot of signage in downtown graham. I find that old historical places tend to have really interesting signs. I’m also really inspired by Fella’s passion. It’s infectious to listen to him talk about it.

  7. When speaking about denotative work, it is that the work is logical and readable. Connotative work is to reflect the meaning or idea more so through the words. The words may not necessarily be readable whereas denotative work is meant to convey words more than ideas. Denotative work is more commercial rather than connotative work.

    Fella’s teaching philosophy is that of “You know rules are taught to be broken.” These rules are meant to be broken only exceptionally he states, that his students are taught to question what their professors teach them.

    Fella’s work contains such a wide range of subjects, texts, images, and forms of abstraction. That he goes through different ideas and is not afraid to do go through different ideas and forms of typography. None of his work looks and feels the same. He explores different concepts and meanings with engagement to different influences. One influence he mentions is historical influences and previous knowledge in his work. Another thing I really appreciate in his work is the influence of his family into his work. Using his work to make beautiful holiday cards even. That something as simple as a card has his artistic touch making it more special.

    For my images, I would take pictures of texts on the way to my classes and walking towards Tate Street. There were many text images in Tate Street Coffee around the whole building that had different textures and words that were interesting.

    1. Hi Sarah!
      I really liked how you said that none of Fella’s works looks and feels the same which I completely agree about, and it’s incredibly impressive to pull that off, especially in a space like typography where typefaces tend to feel and look very similar to each other. However, with Fella’s, he explores many different concepts and meanings and isn’t afraid of failure, even when something doesn’t turn out the way he wanted it to initially be.

    2. I think you really hit the nail on the head stating how none of his works looked the same. I actually didn’t take time to realize this until you mentioned it!

  8. 1. When he talks about his work being connotative and dentative, he means it has two layers. The denotative part is about the basic, clear meaning of how the letters look and function. The connotative part is about the feelings, ideas, or impressions the letters give off, like how their style can make you think of something specific or set a mood.

    2. Fella’s teaching philosophy is all about experimenting and not being afraid to break the rules. He encourages his students to focus on the creative process instead of worrying about making everything perfect. He wants designers to take risks and use design as a way to express themselves, rather than just following traditional methods.

    3. What I find inspiring about Fella is how he stayed creative and curious throughout his life. He shifted from commercial work to creating art just for himself, which shows how important it is to stay true to what you love. His playful and “anything goes” style reminds me that design doesn’t have to follow strict rules-it can be fun, personal, and unexpected. It encourages me to take more chances in my own creative projects.

    2. Hi Tre! Agree that Fella has this playfulness to his work that is really inspiring. It is a reminder that we can still have fun with our work. Along with the fact that we can break the rules and create something is personal and creative like Fella’s work.

    3. Hi Tre! I agree it’s nice to see him stay curious and try different things. It just shows how much fun one can have with there work!

    4. Hi Tre, I found that his style of not sticking to strict rules is inspirational too, I think pushing our usual boundaries sometimes really helps us developing different ideas and pushing our work to be better!!

  9. When describing his work, what does he mean by connotative and denotative?
    What Edward Fella means by connotative and denotative is the ability to be read. He gave an example about how a lot of the modern works of art are a lot harder to read, and his response to that plain and clearly is that you aren’t supposed to because its connotative. He also explains how he was further pushing the forms of the denotative variation of the letter or simply (from his definition) the readable letter forms to the connotative state.

    What is Fella’s teaching philosophy?
    “Rules are taught to be broken only exceptionally.” And also, “Do do what they say.”

    On a personal note, what inspired you about Fella’s design work and life story?
    A lot of what inspired me about his work was about just playing around with stuff. He went through the segment of him showing his designs that were probably older then me, as well as the tools and such he used in them which some we may or may not use in this class. But as he was going through when he first started he showed the more layed back chill stuff that he once did when he was a youngin as he continued on with his timeline we can also see the evolution of his work and how he played around with it a little more and came out with a large variations of his work. For instance his Masters Thesis project when he used the 3 variations of the letter q, none of them looked like the leter q becasue he just pushed the dennotation to its asbolute limit.

    Where did you walk? Include the link to your work on one drive in your comment.
    I spent a lot of time walking around my apartment here on campus, as well as walking around the UNCG Archives in the library. It is tucked away near the backdoor but I actually went for my other Art class and was able to see all kinds of texts, and fonts done by artists.

    Link: https://uncg-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/r/personal/r_riley_uncg_edu/Documents/_Rachele%20Riley/teaching/S25/ART%20341%E2%80%9301/Jon%20Johnson/Week%202/Images%20of%20Fonts?csf=1&web=1&e=yt7DNJ

    1. Hi Jon! I like how you decided to look closer into the fonts and texts you see not just in your general environment, but in your home. I think it’s interesting to observe the kinds of typographic variety there is in our personal spaces and how that has an affect on why we choose to bring them.

    2. I totally agree with you that Fella’s experimentation is cool and seeing how he stretches the idea of what a letter is really makes me wanna challenge myself.
      I really like the variation of size, style, and angle in your pictures. I liked how you got different effects by changing the angle on 3d objects!

  10. Video Questions:

    1. By connotative, he means something where the words mirror the idea. The work is more abstract and sometimes isn’t even readable. By denotative, he means something that’s very readable/legible. The work is more focused on the functionality of being read as words, rather than any kind of abstraction or imagery related to the meaning of the words themselves.

    2. His teaching philosophy is “rules are made to be broken only exceptionally.” He also tells the students to question what their professors tell them to do, but to also still do it.

    3. I find Fella’s work incredibly creative and fun to look at. I’m impressed by how much he’s able to abstract letters into so many different forms, in ways that I would never think to do myself, like creating a whole landscape drawing taken from the letter Q. His work has so much variety, none of it feels repetitive or uninspired. I’m inspired by his skill and dedication to the craft; it’s very inspiring to see the work of someone who’s been doing this for so long, seemingly without getting tired of it or the quality of their work suffering. His use of color in some of his works is specifically really appealing to me.

    1. Hi Simon! I also think it’s incredible to see the depth of Fella’s body of work, especially because he’s been doing it for so long. He goes beyond typography and makes works of art that I personally have never experienced before. The range of his skills is to be admired for sure.

  11. 1. When Edward Fella describes his work with connotation and denotation, He means the context and way the audience receives the work. By “Connotation,” Fella means words that mirror an idea, more commercial and vernacular. From a mid-century perspective. By Denotation, Fella is describing the Legibility of the text. Fella is talking about how readable and logical it is.
    2. When discussing Edward Fellas teaching philosophy, Fella mentions how with art and graphic design, he enjoys the idea of working Post-Modern as well as semi-satirical. He also describes the idea of laying bricks little by little or building cathedral which I enjoy. I think lookin at life like this is the long run is fun, while also mitigates the idea of not doing enough.
    3. On a personal note, I really enjoy Edward Fellas work, not only because of how appealing it is to my eye, but because it is so him. His love and enjoyment of his craft shows so much in his work which I appreciate, What inspires me about him and his work is his ability to break all of these rules he has been taught are right, for his own benefit. I really enjoy his work with colors, and his ways of spreading his craft among as many materials and techniques as he can. He seems to be a very humble guy.

    1. Hey Jackson,
      Fella’s color usage caught my eye as well – it’s reminiscent of an oil spill or a dream. It’s very intersting to witness creative expression take on different forms when certain rules are being broken.

    2. Hey Jackson, I think that it’s exciting that you also taking about building brick by brick and building a cathedral and the symbolism. Ed also talked about breaking rules very intentionally and how to enhance art when to do that. I also enjoy the many materials he uses as well.

  12. When he is describing his work, Ed Fella defines the word connotative as “not meant to be read” and is more defined as being open to interpretation to whoever it is being directed at. However, denotative as being not meant to be connotative; denotative is more defined as being the literal meaning or phrase of a word or sentence. Ed Fella’s teaching philosophy when he taught at Cal Arts was that rules are meant to be broken but only exceptionally can they be broken. Ed Fella’s other teaching philosophy that he had was to “do-do” what the teachers and professors had told them; he describes it in further detail as questioning what the instructors say to them but also do what they say. On a personal level, what has inspired me about Ed Fella’s design work is the way that he draws the letters and the coloring of the letters and creativity that goes into his work. The difference between normal letter writing and what he has done is very eye opening and inspiring to see what a person’s creative mindset is like. It gives me my own ideas and helps with figuring out what I would like to do.

    1. Hey Anthony!

      I was also really inspired by Edward’s lettering work. I loved the colors he used in his letters-it feels like he didn’t hold back with his creative intentions and really pushed beyond the “box” that typography sometimes fit into. I also liked how you described what Edward meant by his works that are “not to be read,” but instead open to interpretation and meant to be felt. This semester, I hope to explore that difference between connotative and denotative typography in my own work too.

  13. 1. While describing his work, denotation is seen more as logical and readable, while connotation is not meant to be readable but more of an artistic expression. His use of free-forming letters creates artistic expression.
    2. His teaching philosophy is “rules are meant to be broken only exceptionally,” he goes on to say to question your professors but also do what they are saying.
    3. What about Fella’s work and life that inspired me is the use of analog in all of his early work and what he had made before the postmodern movement. His use of crafting words with his sense of wordplay is interesting and unique. I like the way he forms the letters using depth to create a 3D look for some of his projects.
    .
    .
    .
    I walked through alleys of abandoned buildings because I knew that they were hotspots for graffiti.
    During my walk, I noticed a lot of textured and weather-away signs on walls and on the sidewalk.

    https://uncg-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/r_riley_uncg_edu/Er6S1eCF4odDkq-jlRgv51oBk82BoBZrEyBRANXIHIGh8g?e=iVbiTl

    1. Hi Taylor! Your photos are really cool! You have a great variety. I also noticed lots of weathered signage when I was getting my photos.

    2. Hey Taylor! I love your approach for finding text in the environment and look forward to seeing what cool pictures you were able to get with a mix of graffiti based lettering combined with the weathered lettering you discovered! Great job!

  14. When he describes his work, Edward Fella uses the terms connotative and denotative to describe the various types of lettering that he does. In the video he said, “Connotative isn’t meant to be read. Denotative isn’t meant to be connotative.” The Oxford Dictionary’s official definition for connotation is “An idea or feeling that a word invokes” and the one for denotation is “The literal or primary meaning of a word.” Even with the terms coming from a standpoint outside of typography this is still the same with lettering. In typography the letter forms quite literally do what the definitions state, demonstrating whether they’re simply the idea of a word in a more abstract way or spelling it out in a literal sense in order to be more efficient in conveying their meaning.
    Fella’s teaching philosophy as a professor at CalArts is “Rules are taught to be broken only exceptionally.” As well as “Do do it.” He says to question what the professors say but also do it. On a personal note, Fella inspired me because as someone who is primarily interested in typography i’ve had to constantly remind myself that my sketchbook does not have to be a very “typical” one filled with finished pieces of objects and instead I can fill it with lettering and things that interest me in that way. The amount of sketchbooks he’s kept impressed me. I admire his dedication and the fact that he’s amassed so many over the years makes me just want to create more and more. I liked the examples of connotative work that he showed, as in my non typographical art I like to capture ideas rather than physical objects. I thought it was so great to see how it’s possible to combine the two. I spent so much time coming back to the piece where he reimagines the world. It spoke to me so much as I see so much of my own art style and motivations reflected back at me in it.

  15. Link to my photos: https://uncg-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/r_riley_uncg_edu/EsadDM7wKphJofNm6zr6I2EBWywcsp0PHNjILUGatNlP7Q?e=Wd6naM
    `

    For my photos, I took pictures around UNC Greensboro’s campus, as well as NC States campus. I took pictures of lettering that were interesting to me, and had various font designs and colors. I also took some photos of analog numbers, and mural artwork that had words within it. I am very excited to see what the next stop of this project will be.

    1. Hi Ava! You’ve got a great variety in your photos. I like the Scrabble ones in particular!

  17. Edward Fella explains that denotative means something is clear and easy to read. It’s just about showing the meaning of the letters or words directly. On the other hand, connotative is more about the feelings or ideas the letters give you. The letters might look cool or artistic, but they can be hard to read. For example, a simple, clean font is denotative, while a wild, creative style is connotative.

    Edward Fella’s teaching philosophy is pretty creative. He believed that rules in art and design are important to learn, but they are also “made to be broken.” However, you should only break them in smart, meaningful ways, not just randomly. He also encouraged students to question what their teachers (including himself) told them. At the same time, he wanted them to take action and try things out. His approach shows he valued creativity and thinking for yourself, while still respecting the basics of design. It’s like learning the rules so you know how to bend or break them in clever ways later.

    Now I believe Edward Fella’s design work and life story are inspiring because of his creativity, dedication, and willingness to explore new things/ideas. His designs show that he didn’t limit himself to one style or approach. He combined traditional letterforms with experimental ones, creating art that was both playful and meaningful. I think it’s cool how he turned everyday things like signs, sketches, and even mistakes into creative masterpieces. He also valued art as something personal and expressive, not just something to sell and follow strict rules.

  18. With Ed Fella describing his work it became clear how he was defining the words denotative and connotative. The denotation of a word in his meaning was being able to read it clearly. The denotative words that he presented were very legible words with clear spacing. Connotation is the idea or “feeling” of the word, leaning more towards the connotation means it doesn’t necessarily have to be legible if it embodies the idea. The examples Fella showed in the presentation were not the most legible but you could get a feeling from the creation.

    Fella’s teaching philosophy was that rules were taught to be broken, but they were to be broken exceptionally. I think that spin on the well known saying helps add intention to the breaking of rules which is very helpful in the world of art and specifically lettering.

    Ed Fella’s entire journey of his art career was fascinating to me because he was working with art long before “Art Deco” became “Art Deco” seeing the range of letterforms he was around and influenced was amazing. It is also exciting to see that even with different types of fonts coming in and out of fashion there is a distinct look and style to his work.

    For my walk I walked from the Gatewood Art Center to the Jackson Library. I also took a look around the special collections on the second floor.

    1. Hey Raqui, I appreciated the examples you gave to describe the differences between connotation and dennotation. I help out alot seeing how my peers interpreted Fella’s descriptions. I also agree with you on his philosophy. Breaking rules intentionally is very helpful and thoughtful. I agree that Fella’s age helps us visualize the stylistic differences of the eras that he has lived through. >:)

    2. Hi Raquel! I completely agree with the distinction you made between denotative and connotative as Ed Fella put it. I found it very interesting that connotative doesn’t necessarily prioritize legibility but rather “embodying” an idea as you put it. I think this is a super interesting way to look at this idea and really intrigues me. Great job!

    3. I also think his teaching philosophy is helpful for the art world to follow, because it leads us to explore our own unique way of making art.

  20. 1. When describing his work, what he means by connotative and denotative is that denotative is very readable and very logical while connotative is the idea of the text being more connected to the idea of what is written. As he puts it, connotative is more “artsy”. He also mentions how connotative style is not meant to be read but rather looked upon. On the other hand, denotative style is created with the intention of it being read. He talks about how this is a difference in design technique and is all dependent on if you are simply designing for legibility or with the idea of placing a deeper meaning within letter forms.

    2. Fella’s teaching philosophy is that rules are taught to be broken (“to be broken exceptionally”, is how Fella clarifies this statement). Fella’s career is based upon pushing the boundaries of these “rules”, so he obviously finds it important for those that he teaches to work to do the same within some basic parameters.

    3. On a personal note, the thing that really inspires me about Fella’s design work is particularly how much variety is shown throughout all of his work and how through each phase of his career he was able to adapt and take on new styles. I think that his experimentation with letter forms and curiosity about letters in general is fascinating and obviously worked out for him with his career.

    4. So far, my project consists of having taken the required 50 pictures. I have a collection of everything from text that I saw while at my job, to graffiti that I saw while walking to the gym, and printed text found in zines from the UNCG library’s personal collection. This has allowed me to collect a broad range of letter forms to be able to use for this project.

    Link to my 50 Pictures:
    https://uncgmy.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/r_riley_uncg_edu/Erf7LfP44npKmPbwTX1V6gIBl5fhbAh_0Pmgevn7xDzvqQ?e=YysxTi

  21. Connotative typography is “not meant to be read”, denotative is. Denotative typography focuses on the form of the letter whereas connotative typography focuses more on the feeling/the image of the letter. While denotative typography is meant for the clear passing of textual information, connotative shares more similarities with an illustration.
    Rules are taught/made to be broken (only exceptionally). “Question what the professors say but also do it” he says. By this, I take it “learn the rules before you break them.” There is a professional design philosophy and design principles that all students should understand, but at the same time, it is crucial for an artist to be willing to push the boundaries of art and to be brave enough to make pathways for new artistic avenues.
    I was inspired by Fella’s willingness to break the artistic boundaries of his time to explore his niche interests and create something new for his day. He was fascinated by Art Deco in his youth but was told by his superiors that it was too old-fashioned and essentially a waste of time to explore. Despite that, he still developed his work in this style and ultimately saw a boom in consumer demand for the style in the 60s and 70s. As for my own personal opinions regarding Fella’s work, I love how creative, fun, and thoroughly artistic his typography is. It is evident to me that he has no concern for any artistic boundaries and just focuses on what interests him, which is truly inspiring to me.

    1. Hello Callie! It’s amazing how Fella stayed true to his vision, even when he was doubted and it made a huge impact on him. I agree that his eagerness pushed past specific boundaries and focused on what inspired him, which is also a great motivation for other artists. Thank you for your response!

    2. It was interesting to hear him talk about the push back he got, just to see art deco come back not long after. Its a neat reminder that trend cycling isn’t exclusive to current times, that we should definitely be looking pretty much everywhere for inspiration. I also love that his passion for that style carried through and even in his most experimental designs he manages to sneak it in.

    3. Hey Callie,
      I also liked how Fella seems to ignore artistic boundaries. His work definitely stands out, and this shows in how many people find his work fascinating. I also agree with you that artists should strive to break boundaries and create their own paths with their art.

  22. Ed Fella talks about connotative and denotative when particularly referring to a flyer that he made for a lecture in New York that he taught with Massimo Vignelli. There were two versions of the flyer, one is easily readable, and one is unreadable. He notes that the ‘unreadable’ one is connotative as it is not meant to be read, while the other is denotative as it is not supposed to be connotative. In his denotative version of the flyer, he makes it readable and adds small serif flicks to the typography while in the connotative version of the flyer he says that it has everything except the form of letter.

    In Ed Fella’s 30 years of teaching he tells us that his teaching philosophy was that rules are taught to be broken and not just broken, but broken only exceptionally.

    I am someone who loves colour so his pieces of work that seem to use coloured pencils that create almost a three dimensional appearance particularly appeal to me and inspire me. A piece of his work that I really liked using this style was the piece that he did for supreme, and to see that be stitched on a piece of apparel and brought to life through a different medium was intriguing.

    Project 1:
    To take my photos I walked around campus as it was the most accessible place for me, along my way I found examples of different typography in the form of stickers, signs, on fire hydrants, graffiti and 3D embellishments. I think I found a wide variety of typography that was used in many different ways.

    1. Hi Hannah!

      I really enjoyed hearing Edward talk about his teaching philosophy. I think what he’s trying to convey to his audience is that it’s okay to go outside the box and break the rules- not just in typography, but across a wide range of subjects. I hope to take this philosophy and apply it to my own work, pushing myself to step away from what I usually include and do in my graphic design projects. I also really enjoyed the 3D element he incorporated into his lettering, especially with his use of colors and shading.

  23. In the video, he mentions that some of the typography can be hard to read because that is the main point. This is called/named connotative. He said in the video, “It’s not meant to be read.” He explained that denotative is a way to write or interpret the typography. These two words are complex in a way that they can be related to one another. One gives a perspective on what you are looking for, and the other one gives how the letters were written.

    According to him, philosophy is to know the rules that are thought to be broken exceptionally. In a way, he said he broke the rules or what the instructor said. He imposes that sometimes you have to be open-minded and embrace the roles in different ways to get out there in the world. Philosophy for him is to have an exception. He experimented with letter forms and the process of constructing the word, which allowed him to do all his work analog.

    In my point of view, he inspired me in the way that he is very experimental when it comes to his work. He embraces and looks at his past work, and sometimes he goes to see his progress or simply to get more experimental. I believe this is a good way, especially because you get to see your progress. One of my favorite things he mentions is that we do not always have to follow the rules. This really got my attention since I do think some artists tend to stay in one position (which is totally okay), although it’s important to extend our ideas and get out of our own box.

  26. 1.) When listening to Ed’s lecture, what I got from his explanation of connotative and denotative is how his connotative work often cannot be read coherently. He described denotative as not being meant to be recognized as connotative, but just simply to be read. So in short, I believe connotative has artistic properties that are meant to give the reader a certain feeling and/or emotion, while denotative is simply meant to be read, nothing more.

    2.) I believe his teaching philosophy is rules are taught to be broken? With that being said, he also made a shirt to remind them that, although he encourages them to be bold and explore different forms, to also be mindful to not stray too far from what the educators are asking for.

    3.) What inspired me personally about Ed’s work is how he wasn’t afraid to experiment and differentiate from what was generally accepted and understood at the time by typographers/designers. This bounces back to his explanation of connotative and denotative works, and proves how he believes that his typography is not meant to just be denotative, but is meant to convey emotion and ultimately get the mind of the reader flowing.

    1. Hello Ethan! I also think that sometimes you have to be open-minded when it comes to philosophy. Just like you mention, “to also be mindful to not stay too far from what the educators are asking for. “It is important to have an idea but is not always bad to explore. After all, you did an amazing job!

  27. When Fella describes his work, connotative refers to the art of the letters; typography. In his case, it’s postmodern and not meant to be read. Denotative refers to the logicality and relatability of words. In his words, “it’s not meant to be connotative.” In literature, connotation refers to the positive or negative attribute of a word and denotation refers to the standard definition of the word itself without attributing positive or negative connotations. This concept also applies to typography and art in general.
    Fella’s teaching philosophy is “Do do what they say” meaning to ask questions, but to do the work. This came about when he was a professor at Calarts.
    Fella’s colored pencil work is really fun. The high saturation and varying opacity appear dreamy and the curved typography combined with elongated or squashed lettering at 6:20 appear whimsical. I really enjoyed the store signage that appeared at 20:00. The smooth metallic texture looks interesting with the symmetrical curvature decor. His topography being connotative and illegible reminds me a lot of Icelandic musicians Bjork’s topography for most of her albums, especially for Medulla (2004) and Fossora (2022) both designed by M/M Paris. Though I prefer designs that are more legible, I appreciate the enthusiasm in curating your own lettering aesthetics and decor that comes with that.
    For my typographic documentation, I traveled to Greensboro, the EUC (specifically the Art Lounge), my neighborhood, and my house. I found lettering ranging from signage to advertisements to everyday materials to food packaging. With taking connotation into accord, I observed how certain lettering evokes feelings and the decisions that may have gone behind selecting certain fonts for certain products.
    Link to my photos: https://uncg-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/r_riley_uncg_edu/Ehr95wVgeVRIra18aeymgd4BkN1Bb-mymisJNGF8Va4tpQ?e=7AegrT

    1. I thought Fella’s colored pencil work was really whimsical as well. I especially liked the “candy” example shown in the video. I can agree with your statement about lettering aesthetics. It reminded me of the designs used for heavy metal bands.

      I really liked the variety of fonts and languages you have in your pictures as well as the range of size!

  28. Walk Reflection:
    I walked all around campus; around the Nursing building, down College Ave., and by the Bojangle’s. I also walked up to the Gatewood Building and took some photos of graffiti there. It was interesting looking around places I frequent with a different perspective. I think I got a good mix of signage and handwritten letters, as well as letters and numbers.

    Link to my photos: https://uncg-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/r_riley_uncg_edu/ErccVg5f4rZGoj-IkjjPYTEBL_bg1VAESmjk7oNI0EvRvw?e=Ghbhjs

  29. Ed Fella says that denotation is very readable and very logical while connotation is when the words are meant to kinda mirror the idea, it’s also very hard to read because it is not meant to be read.
    Ed Fella taught at Cal arts for 30 years and his philosophy was “rules are taught to be broken”.
    Seeing all of Ed Fella’s work is very inspiring. He always tried something new and even went back to other styles just to try it out again. It was really nice to see how many sketchbooks he had that were just filled with finished drawings. He had about 160 sketchbooks with 72 to 200 pages in each of them. I loved seeing how abstract the letters could get to the point where it’s not even readable, at that point it just turns into a drawing, if you don’t look at it close up you probably wouldn’t be able to tell its letters. It’s also very inspiring to see how he didn’t get tired of his work. I’ve seen a couple of artists get tired of their work since they’ve been doing it for a while, so it’s very amazing to see how someone like him has been able to work for so long in the same field and keep coming up with different ways to draw letters.

    For my photos I decided to walk around Tate street. There’s a lot of stickers and posters around so I really wanted to get a variety of colors and letters.
    https://uncg-my.sharepoint.com/shared?
    id=%252Fpersonal%252Fr%255Friley%255Funcg%255Fedu%252FDocuments%252F%255FRachele%2520Riley%252Fteaching%252FS25%252FART%2520341%E2%80%9302%252FXimena%2520Perez%252DChavarria%252FWeek%25202&listurl=%252Fpersonal%252Fr%255Friley%255Funcg%255Fedu%252FDocuments

  30. 1.
    When describing his work, what does he mean by connotative and denotative?
    During his presentation, Ed describes both of these words. He starts by describing denotation with an example of lettering. He describes denotation as being “very readable and very logical.” He goes on to say that connotative lettering is not meant to be read whereas “pure denotation” is not meant to be connotative. In his examples he is showing his own work in how his connotative letterings are in unique forms. Ed pulls his works in a “biomorphic” way which is spectacular to look at.

    2.
    Ed Fella’s teaching philosophy is “rules are taught to be broken. To be broken only exceptionally”. This could be taken in many different ways. For me I see it as certain rules, standards, or expectations in life should not restrict you when it comes to discovering what you want. Learning through failures and experiences is what shapes us, especially when it comes to art.

    3.
    Ed Fella has an interesting yet inspiring story. From starting his work at 18 and finding his niche in his work, he became an expert in lettering. I have always struggled with choosing the right font in my works, yet he has designed his own in such a unique way. For example, the way he chose his thesis in creating lettering that was based on the alphabet was amazing to see. Ed also pulled his work based off what was happening during that time period which is genius. I also love the way his work wouldn’t directly look like letters. The forms were all different, yet compiled together to create amazing art. Seeing all of Ed’s work made me want to dive deeper into typography, and learn about how different forms of lettering create different emotions and stories.

    https://uncg-my.sharepoint.com/shared?id=%2Fpersonal%2Fr%5Friley%5Funcg%5Fedu%2FDocuments%2F%5FRachele%20Riley%2Fteaching%2FS25%2FART%20341%E2%80%9302%2FAlex%20Gentry%2FWeek%2DTwo&listurl=%2Fpersonal%

    1. I went to multiple places for my photos including my job in sports, shops, streets around Greensboro, and I even used my tattoos for some examples. While taking photos I found just how many unique letters there are around us; many which I had not seen before. I am excited to see what we use them for.

  31. I didn’t walk in anywhere particular but just took pictures of anything I saw during my regular commute of life. I did it this way to show an example of how you see these types of things everywhere when you’re out and about it in the real world living your daily life.

    https://uncg-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/r/personal/r_riley_uncg_edu/Documents/_Rachele%20Riley/teaching/S25/ART%20341%E2%80%9301/Anthony%20Valentine/Week%202?csf=1&web=1&e=JOTZHO

  32. Questions:
    1. When describing his work, what does he mean by connotative and denotative?

    Ed Fella describes Denotation as a pure readable form of text. Compared to connotation within the mid-century commercial art spectrum is meant to mirror the idea of text. Purely connotative typography within the midcentury period is not meant to be read. Edward Fella describes the lecture as a transition towards abstraction art. Please don’t get me wrong. Denotation placement can include a variety of forms of composition manipulation. The main difference is the Font itself of readability.
    2. What is Fella’s teaching philosophy?

    Rules are taught to be broken only exceptionally. Follow the instructors’ instructions but also break the rules when necessary. Currently, Learning about impressionism and symbolism in art history. Modernity within the art industry is constantly evolving. I belief that as artists we should follow the rules in addition to incorporating new forms of artistic expression. Without breaking the traditional academic art rules new forms of expression are nonexistent.

    3. On a personal note, what inspired you about Fella’s design work and life story?

    The First Aspect of Fellas work that inspired me was simply the quantity and experimentation of his work. Fella’s career was simple with the topic of typography in his work. Furthermore, I enjoyed listening to the purpose behind Denotation typography manipulation within client/ freelance work.

    https://outlook.office.com/host/377c982d-9686-450e-9a7c-22aeaf1bc162/7211f19f-262a-42eb-a02e-289956491741

    1. Hey Karla, your elaboration to Fella’s statement provided me with a better insight on conotation and denotation. On your second response, I disagree with you. Incorpoation new forms of artistic expression with tradition can only take your so far. Innovation can lead to new possibilities in art, but its important that one is intentionally with how they innovate.

      1. Hello Mar Alvarado-Escobar

        Just wanted to clarify for my second response to answer two last sentences. I meant that if you do not break traditional academic rules then new forms of art/expression won’t exist.

  33. Part 1:
    1. When describing his work, what does he mean by connotative and denotative?
    By Fella’s definition, connotative refers to abstracted letters formed with the intent of providing the general sense of feeling or deeper meaning rather than providing legibility. Denotative is the antonym to connotative. Connotative work refers to the process of producing readable and logical forms of text.
    2. What is Fella’s teaching philosophy?
    Fella has two philosophical quotes which are: “Rules are made to be broken only exceptionally” and “Do do what they say.” The first quote provided reflects the core of Fella’s beliefs surrounding his rejection of American Modernism. Fella does not believe in strictly following traditional art norms, rather, he prefers to foster a relationship with the exploratory nature of art that is often overlooked. The second philosophical quote he spoke of reinforces his belief of teaching students to break away from the technical approach so many artists feel obligated to follow. Fella wants the students he teaches to be able to discover their own visual language.
    3. On a personal note, what inspired you about Fella’s design work and life story?
    I found Fella’s most inspiring characteristic to be his resounding determination to create work that rejects conventional art. It is truly remarkable that his passion for art deco and experimentation exceeded his desire to conform. His teaching approach is inspiring to me as he allows his students to freely create, without concerning them with narrow-minded conventionalism.

    Part 2:
    I have really enjoyed the process of collecting and analyzing the different fonts and visual languages of all the signage around. I look forward to capturing even more photos; ones with more variety and detail in the near future for this project.

    https://uncg-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/r_riley_uncg_edu/EqzSfnnSaWRPqqVxEeSygx0B8cmYinZXyv4H5fsqou0ZpQ?e=zW0nzT

    1. Hi Saige,
      I agree with you that his determination to make art that goes against the conventional art is very inspirational and is an aspect of art a lot of makers should consider when making work in their medium. It’s the best way for them to stand out among the rest.

  34. He described connotative work as not meant to be read vs. how denotative are more clear of the words and letters. In his connotative work, he repeated how the letters are not in their natural form in which he tweaks them to look more fun and interesting. It gives a more abstract side of the design with typography.
    Fellas teaching philosophy is that “rules are taught to be broken” and I think he means that it’s okay to break the “rules” because we all have the freedom to learn and to grow from our own experiences. If everyone followed the same rules, there would be no uniqueness in any creation.
    On a personal note, what inspired me about his story is that he has truly explored all kinds of shapes and forms with his art work. He goes above and beyond to what is considered “normal” and simple work. I can see how he puts his imagination and thought to his pieces. I also like his teaching philosophy of “breaking the rules” because we all need to be reminded that we can be the change. He inspires me to also just have fun and not care to make any kind of doodle because it could become something more, I see that he collected many sketchbooks and filled it with all his ideas and artowork which was pretty cool to me.

    https://uncg-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/r/personal/r_riley_uncg_edu/Documents/_Rachele%20Riley/teaching/S25/ART%20341%E2%80%9301/Debora%20Guevara/Week%202?csf=1&web=1&e=9ff4y3

    1. Hi Debora,
      I like that he inspired you to just pick up the sketchbook and put something on the page. It’s important to do that and not let the page intimidate you. He seems to have a steady flow of ideas resulting in many sketchbooks.

    2. Hi Debora,
      I also agree with you in that I’ve been inspired to be more care free and have more fun when it comes to making art. It makes the process so much more simple and relaxing.

  35. Discussion:
    1. Edward Fella compares denotative and connotative with each other. Denotative is readable and very logical, while connotation focuses on mirroring the actual idea. Connotative typography isn’t meant to be read, and everything matters except for the form of the letter.

    2. Edward Fella’s teaching philosophy is that rules are taught to be broken only exceptionally. He also talks about how we should question our professors but also to “do it.” In college, his thesis project explored the alphabet by creating three drawings for each letter, aiming to incorporate typography in an inauthentic postmodern way.

    3. Edward Fella’s story inspired me to think about letters in a different way. I enjoy looking at the way he incorporates different patterns, colors, time periods, and shapes into his letters and words. None of the work he did looked similar to one another. Each piece looked carefully detailed and placed together, even if he said it was a rough sketch. It’s inspiring to see how many ways a word or letter can be moved, designed and reorganized differently. Some of his 11 x 17-inch pieces are legible, allowing the audience to visually see what they say, while others are intentionally difficult to read.

    Studio:
    The majority of my photos for this assignment come from the walks I take with my roommate around our apartment complex. Some are from residential areas, Tate Street, and inside of a favorite coffee shop of mine. This project has helped me look for the little things around my environment that usually wouldn’t pop out at you unless you were looking for them.

    https://uncg-my.sharepoint.com/personal/r_riley_uncg_edu/_layouts/15/onedrive.aspx?id=%2Fpersonal%2Fr%5Friley%5Funcg%5Fedu%2FDocuments%2F%5FRachele%20Riley%2Fteaching%2FS25%2FART%20341–02%2FChristina%20Kibler%2FWeek%202&ga=1

  36. 1. When describing his work, what does he mean by connotative and denotative?
    Edward Fella describes denotative as the readable and logical forms of a word, where one can make out the literal word. As for connotative words, he expresses them as “dissolved” and artsy, where it can be everything possible but the actual form of the letter. He compares connotative and denotative as post-modernism vs. modernism, where post-modern typography is based on the abstraction and the essence of the word, and isn’t supposed to be legible. Meanwhile, modernist typography relies on the literal forms of the word, through shapes and lines.
    2. What is Fella’s teaching philosophy?
    His teaching philosophy is that rules are taught to be broken, but only exceptionally. Additionally, question what your instructors say but also do what they say, and in doing so, you’ll learn more than you realize.
    3. On a personal note, what inspired you about Fella’s design work and life story?
    What inspired me about Fella’s design work is that he does not stick to one form of design when it comes to typography. He goes towards the more abstract route with experimental letterforms, based on the idea of how to construct the forms. He displays his diverse array of letterforms, which honestly made me realize how there is still so much to typography that I don’t know about. That letterforms don’t always have to be legible, which made me appreciate typography even more as an art. Especially with his thesis, he explored how to put back the letter Q into typography or letterforms through the vernacular, commercial, and historic forms. He’ll even make up vernaculars, based on what he thinks best suits a concept and they’ll be traces of letterforms rather than the readable word itself. I also loved how he expresses how he perceives letterforms, seeing them as fragments and details rather than per say shapes and lines, and just simply has fun playing with letterforms.
    4. Write a brief description (2–3 sentences or more) of your project so far below as a comment as well. Where did you walk? Include the link to your work on one drive in your comment.
    I walked around Southpoint Mall to take a majority of these photos, but I definitely think I could’ve documented way more images. I think in the future, otherwise starting this week, I would like to explore the downtown areas such as Durham and Greensboro, to become more exposed of various types of letters, especially graffiti or more abstract forms of letters in general that could be hand-drawn rather than as simple text on a sign for example.

  37. Discussion Assignment:

    When describing his work, what does he mean by connotative and denotative?

    I think Fella means connotative as illustrating ideas through contexts of shape and form rather than language, with more focus on visual composition; while denotative as playing with lettering form but still keeping it legible.

    What is Fella’s teaching philosophy?

    It seems like Fella’s teaching philosophy is to experiment as much as possible, and just to play around with form, letter structure, and visual composition to find cool new ways of doing typography while having fun with it.

    On a personal note, what inspired you about Fella’s design work and life story?

    I feel inspired by Fella’s design work and approach to design because of how little it seems he takes his work seriously. Not to say that you shouldn’t care at all, but there’s always going to be some trial and error when creating anything, and I think it’s really cool to see someone whose had a really long career in typography mostly (at least in the later stages of his career) focused around just playing with lettering and letter form and just making really visually stimulating compositions. I think being able to allow yourself to do that as an artist is a real gift and to be able to joke around with your work like Fella seems to do is really inspiring!

    Studio Assignment:

    For my studio assignment I just walked around UNCG’s campus. Mostly around tate st. and spring garden. I think what caught my eye the most were the flyers they have all around campus. As well as all the graffiti around too. Both of those, like the podcast we listened to last week about party flyers specifically, are cool ways to create that are really acessible I think. So I love seeing what people are doing using those means of creation, sometimes more so than a gallery exhibit honestly depending on the mood I’m in.

  38. Edward Fella talks a lot about his work using the terms “connotative” and “denotative.” When he calls his work connotative, he’s saying it’s not really about being easy to read. Instead, it’s more about what the design suggests or makes you feel. He even says his designs have everything you can imagine except the actual shape of the letters. On the other hand, denotative design is straightforwardyou can clearly see and read the letters. The two are total opposites: one is all about clarity, and the other is open to interpretation.

    Fella spent 30 years teaching at CalArts, where he taught that rules are important to learn, but they’re meant to be broken just in creative and thoughtful ways. I really admire how experimental his work is and how he pulls inspiration from so many different art movements. You can see how his methods grew and changed over decades of creating. His commitment is mind-blowing he’s filled 160 sketchbooks with around 15,000 finished drawings. What sticks with me the most about his story and his approach to design is that there are no limits to creativity. The more you practice, experiment, and learn, the easier it becomes to create work that doesn’t fit into just one style.

    I walked around Walmart looking for letters and numbers, spotting them on things like signs, packaging, and random labels. While I was at it, I couldn’t help but notice all kinds of other stuff, like the bright colors on displays and the different textures on everyday items.

    https://uncg-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/r/personal/r_riley_uncg_edu/Documents/_Rachele%20Riley/teaching/S25/ART%20341%E2%80%9302/Jose%20Vasquez/Week%202?csf=1&web=1&e=9vczyK

  39. Fella uses the terms connotative and denotative to describe the composition or the letters in his art. When his art is more denotative, the letters in his work are legible, and the composition is a little more traditional. Alternatively, Fella’s connotative work is more abstract. The words in the connotative pieces of work are meant to illustrate the meaning of the word. They are very decorative and sometimes are not meant to be read.

    Fella’s teaching philosophies are that rules are taught to be broken and do what they say. What Fella means is that he wants his students to question what the teachers are saying and break the traditional rules of art to make something exceptional while still doing what you’re told, at least while still in that class.

    I find a lot of Fella’s art to be loose and carefree. I find it really impressive when an artist is able to make their work look like that because I find it really difficult to do that, at least on purpose. I can totally see what he means when he says, “Words mirror the idea.” I can totally see how he does that in his work, and I really want to learn more about his thought process and how he comes up with his ideas. It’s cool how many art/design movements he got to experience firsthand, and it’s nice to see how optimistic he was for the future of design. I feel like sometimes older people are judgemental of the people that come after them.

    I was feeling really sick so most of my things are from around my room or just a short walk from my house. I am lowkey a hoarder so I think k i got a bit of a variety but sorry if my stuff is a little boring!
    https://uncg-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/r_riley_uncg_edu/EgN4gSlhU8NBjQ8ya-IxC0oB-N5e8eZbRUjhYh49OJbGHQ?e=i6YElB

    1. Hello Maria,
      I really love how you described the definitions of connotative and denotative. I definitely agree that connotative is Fella’s preferred style. I also agree that it is refreshing to know that Fella has an open mind regarding the future of design. It is not so easy to find others like Fella given that previous generations typically have ideas ingrained within their mind. Your photos are very creative too; I enjoyed looking at them!

    2. I agree that it’s really impressive how he manages to make his work very technical while also looking how you described as carefree. I think it has a lot to do with his experiences and obsessive practice that affords him that sense of effortlessness.

  40. – When Fella was elaborating on the topic of a colleague/friend telling him that he couldn’t make out the words that Fella had created, he went on about how that was the point. Fella went on to explain to his colleague/friend that Connotative means that it is not meant to be read, whereas denotation means not to be connotative, according to Fella.
    – When Fella began teaching at CalArts, his teaching philosophy was “Rules are taught to be broken, made to be broken only exceptionally.” This led him to explain that students should and need to do as their professors say but do question their professor’s teachings and methods.
    – What inspired me about Fella’s design work is that it makes me feel it’s never-ending or out of style. Wordplay, lettering, typography, etc., make up our daily world, so it’s always in existence, whether in a connotative or denotative manner, which I found interesting to learn about. But as I reflected on his meaning of connotative and denotative, I realized that I grew interested in connotative work, using my mind, imagination, and critical thinking to figure out what the artist intended with their work within the use of letters and fonts and seeing how close I was to what their work actual is.

    1. Hello Brianna,

      The third question response of leaning more towards connotative typography intrigued me. Connotative versus denotative typography both have different functions within society. For the most part my own work with typography has been a mixture of both more leaning towards denotative. However, my recent experiences with witnessing a Graffiti Park has inspired me to step outside of my comfort zone.

    2. Hello Briana I enjoyed reading your response. I believe Fella did a good job when explaining the differences between connotative and denotative. In general, the video was interesting to watch. I also like how you mention how critical thinking can be regarding typography.

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