I have a real thing for ampersands. In fact I chose the font for this site in part because the italic ampersand gives me a tiny tendril-loving thrill every time I see it. :-) (& & & & &…. do you feel it too?) So when someone asked if I had an ampersand to go with my original Curiotype Alphabet, I was more than delighted to add one! I may yet give it a bit more tweaking but here’s what I’ve come up with so far.
The ampersand, by its very nature, brings things together– not only as a conjunction but as a letterform. Its original shape was derived from a calligraphic intertwining of the letters “e” & “t” (“et” is Latin for “and”)– although many modern versions take the basic shape & run with it to a nearly unrecognizable direction. That’s one of the things I love about the ampersand– it’s a chance for a calligrapher or type designer to throw caution to the wind & really play with form.
So I thought it was only right that there should be a pair of creatures involved in this Curiotype. And given my love of ampersands & the proximity of Valentine’s Day, I figured they should be rather taken with one another.
Stay tuned for more Curiotype developments AND more Valentine’s goodness! In the meantime I hope you are enjoying your new year & everything that comes with it!
edit: Now available as an ACEO-sized print in my Etsy shop!
Fascinating….and fun. I love the textures, colors, and composition. So creative…….using two individual creatures…..
Thank you, Clara! It was fun to make. I could probably do a whole series of ampersands & be happy! :-D
Your comments remind me of an exhibition I attended several years ago that contained the work, “and, per se” by Josh Shaddock. The only representation of this work that I could find was in this blog review of the exhibition. It plays with the ampersand as well, the idea of joining and also separateness, and the tensions of group art shows for which it was exhibited and created. The article (and an image) are here: http://www.theartblog.org/2012/04/arcadias-close-at-hand-8-dechemia-leclercq-shaddock-wahl/
That’s fascinating, Sean! Having participated in many group shows, I can appreciate the artist’s thought process. Sometimes the chosen works can enhance each other almost magically, other times it all just seems like a mish-mosh. It’s almost always out of the artist’s control.