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an excerpt: Beautiful World of Typography
The book versus the film:
On first glance as a typographer, I found myself quite distracted by the aesthetic of the typography and graphics of Mieke Gerritzen’s typo/film project Beautiful World, 2006. I read in a review by Ellen Lupton published in Eye magazine, that the book is more powerful than the film. Critically, from a typographic point of view (and I mean the typography) the film is un-special, it’s not beautiful to the senses. It’s not clever in its animation, its treatment, nor perhaps, is it attempting to or wanting to be. The content, the ideas that swirl about, the messages, are so urgent to have their say, that they come pounding out leaving behind any real concern for achieving an aesthetic filmic experience whether it be beautiful or un-beautiful.
Viewing the film a second time, then a third, in an attempt to extract myself from the various visual prejudices that I happen to own (a frustration sometimes, that only gets in the way!) in order to render myself less consciously typographically informed — remembering that all of us, these days especially, are typographically informed on some level), the content filters through, my focus shifts, the messages make their way into my brain, and I really try to read and understand without looking too much. Headphones on, I turn up the soundtrack, close my eyes and am immediately seduced by Twin Peaks (the music and yes, visual imagery from the series), I open them and gaze at the swirls and movements, the patterns and zoomings in and out; I blur my vision to adjust my focus. Later, I listen to the film without image. I watch the film without sound. I put them back together, and while I can’t read the film without watching Helvetica perform its myriad choreographed moves — I get right into it.
Most successful, are the glorious sequences of icons of logos and portraits from Shell to MacDonalds, and Jesus Christ to Michael Jackson (presented gaming style ticker/flicker lotto number type of assemblage) — this is magical and the film really comes into its own because visually it succeeds in bringing image, sound and content together — and the experience is almost seamless and is about the feeling you get. Typographically, I just want to get in there and make the type bolder, blacker, tougher, closer, so that as a film, it gets you. So it digs deep and hits you inside, whether joyful or oppressive, because that’s what the messages are. Mieke Gerritzen has something to say and wants us to know, because she cares.
I want to see Beautiful World leap again, and become the ultimate typo film where the type really does
fill your mind with message and meaning, rather than sticks around as another niggly aesthetic.
But, this is not meant to be a critique on Beautiful World ... that’s not the purpose of my talk ... however it does make a good link to where I want to go. What I have begun with is simply an opinion by someone who attempts in her own practice to make meaning, to share with others the things we take for granted. To consider the message, find a connection. To make a point. To see what happens.
This pushes me onto what I am really interested in and that is the power (or not) of typography in our everyday lives.
Here now, in this gallery, we have Beautiful World in another form. Photo Histories curated by Mercedes Vicente, is an exhibition that includes the work and artist book I Must Behave by photographer and artist Bruce Connew. The design of the exhibition is my interpretation. The artist book was designed by us. The typography is my response to his message. I Must Behave is, as I see it, the photographic version of Beautiful World, or, put another way, Beautiful World is the text to I Must Behave ... every picture is worth a thousand words, here we have 85 images = 85,000 words.
Start reading!
Catherine Griffiths / excerpt from a public talk at Govett Brewster Gallery, 2009
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Look at the type.
Read the image.
I Must Behave deals with the same issues as in Beautiful World “ ... the feeling is one of joy, inspiration and refreshing innovation, but one of being oppressed and manipulated through technology and economization”.
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04 writing & critique
Walk With Me
by Stephen Cleland
curatorial essay, »Catherine Griffiths: Walk With Me«, Te Wai Ngutu Kākā Gallery, Aotearoa NZ, July 2025
Blood lines
by John Warwicker
exhibition review, »Catherine Griffiths: Out of Line«, Eye Blog, UK, June 2025
On the Expanded
by Megan Patty
curatorial essay, »Catherine Griffiths: Out of Line«, The Design Gallery, University of Melbourne, Australia, May 2025
The Shapes of Sound
by Ela Egidy
curatorial essay, »Catherine Griffiths: Out of Line«, The Design Gallery, University of Melbourne, Australia, May 2025
Read this space
by John L. Walters
book review, »catherine griffiths : SOLO IN [ ] SPACE«, Eye, UK, Spring 2023
Beautiful World of Typography
by Catherine Griffiths
excerpt from a talk, Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, 2009
Making Noise
by Catherine Griffiths
contribution, Alphabettes Soup: 2015–2025, Bikini Books, Portugal, March 2026
Walk With: A Survey Exhibition by Catherine Griffiths
by Catharina van Bohemen
exhibition review, Art New Zealand #196, Aotearoa NZ, November 2025
A paper record
by Catherine Griffiths introduction, Present Tense : Wāhine Toi Aotearoa — a paper record., Aotearoa NZ, May 2023
An installation on an installation on an installation ...
by Catherine Griffiths
artist statement, »catherine griffiths : SOLO IN [ ] SPACE« A documentation, Pocca, China
September 2021
A Paper Vehicle
by Catherine Griffiths and
Bruce Connew
Dwelling in the Margins, Gloria Books, 2020
Figures that don’t add up
by Catherine Griffiths
Eye Blog, UK, March 2019
1997–2017, 43 Black Pins, 40 men, 3 women
by Catherine Griffiths
The Spinoff, Aotearoa NZ, August 2018
Power in the Poster
by Catherine Griffiths
Designers Speak (Up), Aotearoa NZ, August 2018
Peace
by Catherine Griffiths
Word—Form, Australia, 2018
Porto Design Summer School 2017
by Catherine Griffiths
review, looking back on the fifth edition, Portugal, April 2018
Notes from ‘Designing the perfect photobook’
notes from a short talk as part of a panel discussion, PhotobookNZ, Aotearoa NZ, March 2016
A meditation
Sir Ian Athfield, 1940 — 2015
by Catherine Griffiths
Architectural Centre, Aotearoa NZ,
April 2015
The Design Kids interview
interview with The Design Kids, Australia, July 2015
A Playlist : CG >> CG
by Catherine Griffiths
DPAG Late Breakfast Show, Aotearoa NZ, August 2014
Body, Mind, Somehow: The Text Art of Catherine Griffiths
by Gregory O’Brien
Art New Zealand #150, Aotearoa NZ, 2014
Nothing in Mind
by Chloe Geoghegan
typ gr ph c, Aotearoa NZ, August 2014
typ gr ph c in Strips Club
by Catherine Griffiths
Strips Club journal, Aotearoa NZ, March 2014
In the Neighbourhood
by Catherine Griffiths
Desktop #294, Australia, 2013
Interview
by Heath Killen
interview for Desktop #294, Australia, 2013
FF ThreeSix
by Catherine Griffiths
Typographica, March 2013
A note on the D-card
by Catherine Griffiths
Aotearoa NZ, April 2013
She’s Got Legs
by Lee Suckling
Urbis, Aotearoa NZ, January 2013
Truly, No Idea
by Catherine Griffiths
for Flash Forward, Desktop, Australia, November 2012
Look for the purple lining
by Catherine Griffiths
Eye Blog, UK, March 2012
Q&A TBI
interview with The Big Idea, Aotearoa NZ, June 2011
Shots in the air
by Catherine Griffiths
Eye Blog, UK, January 2011
John & Eye
by Catherine Griffiths
ProDesign 110, Aotearoa NZ, January 2011
Quite a Blast
by Catherine Griffiths
ProDesign, Aotearoa NZ, January 2011
Inner-City Modality
by Mercedes Vicente
ProDesign, Aotearoa NZ, August 2010
Beautiful World of Typography
by Catherine Griffiths
excerpt from a talk, Govett-Brewster Gallery, Aotearoa NZ, June 2009
For the record
by Catherine Griffiths
Introduction to For the record, TypeSHED11 11–15/2009, Aotearoa NZ, February 2009
Locating Our Feet
by Catherine Griffiths
Threaded, Aotearoa NZ, October 2008
Notes
on Feijoa
by Catherine Griffiths
ProDesign, Aotearoa NZ, April 2007
Life in Italics
by Helen Walters
Print, New York,
USA, September-October 2006
Writing by
Types
by Justine Clark
Artichoke, Australia, April 2003
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