Strawburry Miwk

My brother recently went to New York to visit a friend, and while he was there he swung by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and took a gander at the Tim Burton exhibit. Now, my brother isn’t exactly artistically inclined (much less someone to appreciate the dark or macabre), but considering the fact that a self-mutilation exhibit was on the second floor, he said the Tim Burton exhibit was tame enough for his tastes. This got me to thinking…what is it about Tim Burton that even non-artistic, rather conservative people like brother can even enjoy?

Thankfully enough, my brother even brought back a book on the subject. Simply titled Tim Burton by Ron Magliozzi and Jenny He, the book serves as a companion to the museum exhibit and showcases 64 full-color images of Tim Buton’s works, cradled by articles and essays about his life, his career and his impact on the art of film and those who view his works alike. I could write up a grade school-style book report to answer my question above, but something about the design of the book itself that instantly caught my eye should answer well enough.

As a big fan of typography, I’ve purchased a few books and have been viewing countless samples on the subject to broaden my knowledge and skill in it. When it comes to designing books whose purpose is to deliver information (as was the case for this book), the general rule is to lay out your copy in one or two columns of aligned text with enough leading and letter-spacing to ensure readability and the quick and seamless absorption of information. Tim Burton does this, but with a twist…literally.

The text is readable and set in even columns, alright. As for being perfectly aligned? If you view the sample I scanned in, you’ll see the flush edge of these columns has a mild, but noticeable, twist and curve to it. Combined with the natural twists and curves created by the jagged edge, the effect is certainly noticeable and almost gives the feeling of something being ‘off’ or ‘wrong’ with the book; Perhaps the information isn’t to be trusted or needs a second look to make sure your eyes aren’t deceiving you.

Anyone familiar with Tim Burton’s films and artistic style knows that this is exactly the point. In an age when it’s possible to create nearly any outlandish visual effect or imagined creature with ever-advancing computer technology, sometimes the most mild of alterations is all that’s needed to distort reality and grab attention. My favorite Tim Burton film, Edward Scissorhands, does this perfectly. Yes, there is a man clad in black leather with giant shears for hands that’s pretty noticeable, but my eye always caught the matching, pastel-colored houses built on even plots in perfectly mowed lawns connected by gently winding streets in the movie’s suburban town. I can’t think of a single town in the US that actually looks like that, but the visual commentary is enough to get me thinking about what living in suburbia really means, and how people who have been living in comfort and seclusion for so long might react to outsiders.

This, I think, is what everyone, from the “artsy-fartsy” like myself to serious, business types like my brother, can enjoy. There are extreme aspects to Tim Burton’s style, but there are subtle aspects as well, and I think these subtle aspects are truly what get us to take a second look and think about how we perceive the world and each other. Sometimes we want something just slightly out of place to make us stop and think.

As I continue to study and observe typography, I’ll keep this example in mind and try to find others like it for this blog. There is a lot of competition in visual media to grab the attention of every eye possible, but sometimes…subtlety is key.