title
An Enigmatic System of Symbols: Found Occurrences and Form Study
Artist/Designer
Simon Fréour
Date
2023
type of writing system
Alphabet, Cipher
Based on
English alphabet
This project introduces an invented script, envisioning a scenario where enigmatic characters have been appearing on various New York City streets and subway stations, leaving their origin and meaning shrouded in mystery. The script was presented with an accompanying zine that served both as a documentation of this unexplained phenomenon and a type specimen showcasing the characterset. While deliberately avoiding a direct reference to any specific script, the writing system incorporates design elements reminiscent of established writing systems, striking a balance between an alien and familiar appearance.With 26 characters corresponding to the English alphabet, it prompts contemplation on our sense of otherness and the dynamics of visual perception that come into play when encountering a foreign script. This interplay highlights the intricate nature of script aesthetics and the influence of cultural context on our perception, even when the characters are devoid of linguistic meaning.
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Artwork courtesy of Simon Fréour. All rights reserved.
abjad
abugida
acrophony
acrostic
alphabet
alphasyllabary
asemic writing
automatic writing
boustrophedon
character
character set
cipher
code
conscript
cryptography
encode
experimental
grapheme
glyph
hieroglyph
hieroglyphics
imaginarium
language
letter
letterform
linguistic
logosyllabary
logographic
logogram
nat scirpt
neography
optophonetic
phoneme
phonetic
pictograph
quasi
re-worlding
script
syllabary
syllable
symbol
speculative
torus
versimilitude
writing system
