David Pidgeon "Geometry of Type" talk

I was fortunate to attend David's presentation "The Geometry of Type" on Monday (December 7, 2009) at the Australian Museum. Looking at David's work, I got many ideas for future projects about how to take an idea and simplify it to its essence. How to use simple shapes, lines and colour to communicate deep and complex concepts.

Event Summary
Keen to see the alphabet from a different angle? David Pidgeon, from Design By Pidgeon in Melbourne, looks at restricting the roman alphabet to strict geometries in an attempt to explore form, legibility, visual perception, dimension, points of view, perspective, colour, animation and modularity.

His passion for design excellence can be witnessed in the evolution of his work in the last decade. The son of a mathematician and of Italian/Anglo Saxon descent, David has embarked on a journey in design that is influenced by the way he sees the world. He pursues diversity in clients and output, which in turn employs a curious mix of playful yet intelligent; precise yet intuitive output.

His experiments in typographic form are a process that he has pursued since being a student and one of the creative threads that draws his work together.

David is a member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI) and has recently returned from speaking at the ICOGRADA World Design Congress in Beijing.
(source: AGDA's event listing)

David Pidgeon's typography work





http://pidgeon.com.au/

Michael Nyman and Didgeridoo

Yesterday we went to Sydney Opera House cause Michael Nyman was playing there with his band, and it's not a sight to miss. But the cherry on top arrived after the interval.

As the people shuffled around, the crew set up a mic and a didgeridoo, and my body tingled with anticipation. When the lights dimmed, a large man with black curly hair walked on stage in place of Michael, and the crowd was not sure to clap or not. The man walked to the didgeridoo, with a hint of modesty, and the crowd decided that he was a performer and that they should clap. So they did.

Michael Nyman did come out after the man, said a few words, and the rest is a beautiful blur of the symphony they performed afterwords. The man sang aboriginal chants, accompanied by electric guitar and didgeridoo, and the spirits of Australia gathered to listen.

Program
Wonderland (1999)
~ Mollly
~ Eddie
~ Nadia

Prospero's Books (1991)
~ Prospero's Curse
~ Yellow Sands
~ Miranda

The Libertine (2005)
~ The Mistress
~ Against Constancy
~ A Satire Against Reason

Water Dances 4& 8 (1992)

..... Interval .....

The Piano (1993)
~ Big My Secret
~ Silver-Fingered Fling
~ The Heart Asks Pleasure First

The Draughtsman's Contract (1982)
~ Chasing Sheep
~ Eye for Optical Theory

Drowning by Numbers (1998)
~ Trysting Field/Sheep and Tides
~ Wheelbarrow Walk
~ Wedding Tango
~ Fish Beach
~ Knowing the Ropes

I think the didgeridoo man improvised along the way, and I was not sure whether it was sweat or tears that moistened his face.

This one was one of my favorites:

Alister Spence Trio and Jon Hassell

Yesterday was a happy day. After a day-trip to Blue Mountains we headed to the Sydney Opera House to enjoy some "new music." I wouldn't call it "new age" as this term has acquired a negative rep in the recent days, so we'll just stick to "new." New, because it's made possible by the developments in technology, endless variations of filters and effects to create the mood.

The opening was performed by Alister Spence Trio and it was a lot of fun to watch the musicians make love to their instruments. Literally. They found very imaginative ways to make sounds, like using sticks to rub on strings and dangling objects over the drums. Here is a video of the melody, recorded earlier.



Then Jon Hassell came out with a very serious face. He played the entire show in one go, almost as one track, and when someone attempted to applaud he waved his hand in a command to stop, lol.