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Fetishising language: typography and postfeminism in late capitalism Item Info
- Title:
- Fetishising language: typography and postfeminism in late capitalism
- Author:
- Manuela (Ella) Louise Egidy
- Committee Member:
- Cathy Greenfield (Supervisor); Brad Haylock (Supervisor)
- Date Created:
- 2021
- Abstract:
- The mechanical embodiment of language, typography is always a re-presentation, form whose meaning is acquired through preconceptions and prior understandings; its overwhelming physical presence is pervasive. If language, to some degree, is involved in the formation of the subject, I aim to demonstrate the role typography plays in the formation and re-formation of subjectivities within the realm of consumption in late-capitalist societies. This research emphasises Marxist feminist standpoints in order to study typography in its commodity form. Undertaking a critical analysis of typography and the context in which it has been marketed and sold, I intend to problematise the fetishisation of language and interrogate its sociomaterial relations as expressions of commodity feminism within a postfeminist landscape. This thesis takes as its object of study not only the letterforms in question, but also the conditions in which they are produced, as well as the assumed intentions of the producers. A distinct focus on typography is necessary to understand the ways in which one’s constitution is shaped through messaging received in a commodified environment. Further to the image of the letterform this research also studies the materials deployed to give these letters form, specifically within a visual merchandising environment, to understand how these materials further intensify the message. In highlighting the performative gestures of typography and language through a critical study, this research aims to situate contemporary typographic practice within a broader field of cultural critique
- Subject:
- Graphic design (Typography) Socialist feminism Capitalism and mass media
- Language:
- en
- Identifier:
- etd_0014
- Type:
- Master's Thesis
- Grantor:
- RMIT University
- Degree Level:
- Masters
- Degree Discipline:
- Design and Social Context
Attribution
- Citation:
- "Fetishising language: typography and postfeminism in late capitalism", Team 2: Electronic theses/dissertations (ETDs), Center for Digital Inquiry and Learning (CDIL), https://info663-fa25.github.io/team2/items/etd_0014.html