#Tim Gaze

[nsaadm-blog]

R&E-SAT2: WHAT IS ASEMIC WRITING?

During my investigation and experimentation of language contrast, a question arose to the importance of legibility within a design, which would naturally lead to the exploration of the current and historic debates amongst other designers regarding this issue but rather my tutor recommended that I would search the term “Asemic Writing” by Tim Gaze. This was one of the most interesting topics I researched so far as instead of studying how to make text legible, I studied the art of creating deliberate illegible text.

The subject of legibility is one which has been approached from alternative viewpoints by major graphic design movements. Should the communication be instantly visible, or would the idea be further implanted and hold greater meaning if the audience were required to search for it, which is the main concept of creating Asemic Writing. 

What is Asemic Writing?

The word "Asemic" means having no semantic content. Asemic writing is anything that would look like writing, but in which the person viewing it can’t read any words.

“Asemic Writing sits on a continuum between abstract images & legible writing.”

Gaze, Tim, 2006, Asemic Movement Magazine 1.

Figure 01: Gaze, Tim, 2006, Asemic Movement Magazine1, P.11.

Asemic Writing is a whole class of visual phenomena, there are at least 3 different ways for Asemic Writing to occur:

Deliberately made as an illegible form of writing; many poets, calligraphers from different traditions, visual artists and graphic designers deliberately make Asemic Writing.

Writing intended to be legible, but for one reason or another, is not legible;

Something which accidentally looks like illegible writing.

Figure 02: Ionescu, Bernard, 2007, Asemic movement magazine 1, P.3.

Writing intended to be legible might be illegible because of:

Mental or physical distress or carelessness of the person writing

Faulty writing instrument or printer

Decay or other problems of the surface written upon (malfunctioning computer monitor);

The writing system is unknown to the person viewing it (Chinese characters, for a person who hasn't learned to read them);

Lighting or other conditions (person attempting to read is too close or too far away) render the writing temporarily illegible.

Figure 03: Li, Ezra, Asemic Movement Magazine 3, P.33.

Accidental Asemic Writing might be produced by:

Abstract art which uses fragments of the marks from which writing is formed;

Natural phenomena such as marks on trees, conglomerations of twigs, grass, stones & so on;

Traces of anything created by humans using "gestural" movements.

Figure 04: Gysin, Brion, 1986, Asemic Movement Magazine 3, P.31.

Whether something is Asemic Writing or not is subjective: if one person can't read a piece of writing, it is Asemic for that person. If another person can read the same piece of writing, it is not Asemic for the second person. So, the quality of being Asemic is not in the writing, but a consequence of whether a particular person can read it at a particular time.

Asemic writing tends to have no fixed meaning, their meaning is open. Every viewer can arrive at a personal, absolutely correct interpretation.

This would directly relate to my practice 1 assignment which will involve more than one language (English and Arabic) considering I will present this to an English speaking audience (UK).

[thescreamingwall]

A few weeks ago, Tim Gaze of Asemic Magazine reached out to me over my calligraphy. So I sent him a few zines and a piece of original work. Today, I just picked up this from the post office - the latest issue off Asemic Magazine.

[fountoflight]

from Tim Gaze's “Cascade”

[marcogiovenale]

sound poetry etc _ episode 3 _ by tim gaze

sound poetry etc _ episode 3 _ by tim gaze

* contents: https://www.copperpiperadio.com.au/ [Italian sound poetry, poesia sonora, many colours / flavours / textures] [Futurists & allies] Giacomo Balla – Discussione sul futurismo di due critici sudaneisi 1:16 Futura Poesia Sonora composed 1914, performed by Luigi Pennone, Arrigo Lora-Totino, Sergio Cena 1976 Mimmo Rotella 4:30 title? (track 16 La parola parlata) 2000 FT Marinetti – Dune,…

[glyptolite]

Cover art by Satu Kaikkonen (left) and Marilyn R. Rosenberg (right) for Asemic 15, compiled by Tim Gaze.

[polykroma-blog]

asemic

having no specific semantic content

[ions-in-the-ether]

Tim Gaze

[marcogiovenale]

part 3 / tim gaze. 2020

part 3 / tim gaze. 2020

_

https://slowforward.files.wordpress.com/2020/11/tim-gaze-part-3.mp3

from SHAPES, sound poetry by Tim Gaze