Gerard Unger – Life in Letters – Christopher Burke
Gerard Unger – Life In Letters by Christopher Burke / ISBN 9789083052106 / 340-page hardcover, about 8.25 x 11 inches, illustrated throughout, published by De Buitenkant (NL) / text in English
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Dedicated to graphic designer Gerard Unger (1942–2018), this book presents a case study in the development of modern type design as it unfolds along with the rapid technological shifts that transformed typesetting and publishing over the past 50 years. While most of Unger’s types are variations on the economical Dutch tradition, they are also permeated by his distinctive style, marked by tensive curves and dynamic rhythm. He drew inspiration from abstract art and delighted in the interplay of form and space in letterforms. The book includes a reproduction and translation of Unger’s 1977 exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum, where he began to develop a theory of type design.
