Calligraphy: A Scribe's Notes - Art Blog
Calligraphic Emoticons?
by calligraphy , September 2, 2009—12:00 AM
Our language is being abbreviated down to number and letter codes that you need a new dictionary to decipher. Conference=Con, Manicure=Mani, Pedicure=Pedi, Application=Apps, Favorite=Fav, Congratulations=Congrats, Proposition=Props.I don't understand half of the Tweets and texts I read with all the > < # RT = 4 U 2 >=> in there. It's intended to be faster when in reality it just slows me down.
The question I am pondering now is, in the future how all this abbreviated language will look in calligraphy? There are lots of studies out there, illustrating how our minds perceive language. Taking out all the vowels, mixing things up, all that clever stuff, but what will calligraphers of the upcoming generations going to do with IM texting as their written language?
"I love u > than u will ever no. My heart cries when I am w/u. U make me :) and I long 2 C U again." Do we need to start designing calligraphic emoticons?
"4 score & 7yrs ago our 4 fathers brought 4th upon this continent a new nation: conceived in lib and dedicated to the prop that all men R created =. Just doesn't have the same ring to it.
If it happens we will shudder and protest but it will be their world and their language. Just as we aren't speaking Middle English anymore (thankfully) language evolves and the written word evolves with it, reflecting the changes in aesthetics, architecture, fashion, morals, customs and lifestyles.
We'd better get started on those emoticons.☺
If you have an idea for a calligraphic emoticon, send it to me and I will post it with your name in a future blog. mary@artid.com
COMMENTS
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09/03/2009 * 12:28:58
Mary~ I fear that whatever calligraphic abbreviations we come up with will pale in comparison to what the Japanese have been using for centuries. A beautiful character that represents a complete idea or emotion. I think what will happen is that our language will just Twitter away. And so I say, "Long live the scribes, quills and all!"
Carla
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09/03/2009 * 12:24:57
I don't know Mary - I think you might have come upon a good idea here. The implications of your question - calligraphy tweets - might make for some interesting art pieces because of the layered context.
I can see it now, a gallery full of large canvases with lines of this snippet language in calligraphy...mixing the old with the new.
Aaron ( homepage )
09/10/2009 * 11:01:26
I left the smiley face emoticon the other day as a response to the blog post because it expressed my feelings at the time. I really didn't have anything to say but a friend had just recommended this blog to me and I was happy with what I saw.
I do like emoticons because they often punctuate something one says or clarify if one is using sarcasm of making a joke that could be mistakenly taken seriously.
On the other hand of all of the abbreviations that I see, they can be quite annoying at times. Especially when someone abbreviates words on first reference. It may save them time initially but wastes time in the end when I email them back to ask what are they trying to say. I find it even more annoying when they use this often confusing habit to sound hip or trendy.
I read one of my favorite notes of this kind when an older musician friend received fan mail from a much younger fan. At the office he had to find a young co-worker to literally translate the email.
I think the majority of this style of writing is fine for text messaging but not in emails.