SUBZERO KEEN
Job: Typeface design. Photography, Production, Type Foundries Zin, OTF
Character Count: 26 + glyphs
An experimental interpretation of perception. This ever continuing evolution of the Minnesota-Cold typeface was designed as informal experimentation of wintery nature creations during the Covid-19 lockdown. The font is extracted from a wide range of photographs of the winter window screens and nature’s artistic expression. The photographs became coarse resolution bitmaps, later developed to high resolution vectorized fonts.
DISPLAY TYPEFACE
Subzero Keen is a font-based on-grid system. Each tiny square represents home windows that we looked out from during the Minnesota lockdowns of 2020. The grid itself created many opportunities to create a story and the expressions of being imprisoned but also enjoying the beauty of simply observe what is in front of our nose. The font is designed to give the viewer the experience of viewing the world through the screen. Subzero Keen is not a traditional typeface, rather a historical experiment in conjunction with frustrating emotions that formed an integral part of its process. From failures to discoveries utilizing the capabilities of the digital process Subzero Keen finally arrived and will continue to evolve.
THE PROCESS
Subzero Keen is an experimental typeface. It was created a display typeface derived from images of an experiment. The experiment consisted of taking images of frozen windows over a span of 2 weeks during the crazy Minnesota winter days. Images were taken at different times of day and night.
Images then were modified by bit mapping them, overlays.
THE EXPERIMENT CONTINUES
More Subzero Keen Families are in the works. The most exciting one is the screen see-through black display typeface. It will allow you to use it in the foreground of the image giving an illusionary perception of being the observer of the experience. Stay connected and check back often. Cheers!
