Type and lettering in Madrid
Having been in Barcelona a few years ago, I didn’t quite recall the city as being typographically rich. Truth is, that I also did not pay much attention to it on nighttimes even though I thought I was type-aware.
Freshly returned from a trip to Madrid, of which some snapshots are shown hereafter, I’ve been somehow struck by the state to richness I’ve noticed when beating the streets. You can find gems at every corner of every street, of all ages and kinds. Type remained a living matter, bent and shaped to the needs of the city, whether they be informative or communicative. There is a strong trend leaning towards swashes and flourishes, very much like the XIXth century Âge d’or of display type, while other constructed letters merely recalls late 30s and 50s deco type. Examples and techniques vary greatly from one use to another and at some point I had to stop taking pictures: this was a weird feeling as I am most of the time looking out for type.
As for Barcelona, I’ve just been just proven 100% wrong and blind, thanks to this book that Jean François lent me.
