Graphic by Daniel Triassi

Comic Sans walks into a bar, and the bartender says, “We don’t serve your type.”

It’s true, if typefaces could walk and talk, I would discriminate against Comic Sans. I hate the font.

Maybe it was the time I received my first Beanie Baby in second grade and ripped off the tag. (Any beanie baby enthusiast would know that it’s against beanie baby etiquette, they even sell tag protectors). Or maybe it was the garage sale sign (I didn’t go), restaurant menu (I didn’t eat), midterm exam (I stared at it for a full five minutes before I began), or countless club posters around campus (I ripped them all off the wall).

I don’t know exactly when my hatred for Comic Sans began, but one thing still remains true: It’s time to kill the overexposed font. It’s time to ban Comic Sans.

According to graphic communication professor Brian Lawler, type is one of the most eloquent means of expression. Comic Sans however expresses something much different.

“It’s unfortunately ugly and unfortunately overused and abused,” he said.

The favored typeface of human resource managers and high school librarians, Comic Sans was designed by Vincent Connare and released by Microsoft in 1995. Connare was inspired by the lettering style of comic books he had in his office, including Batman and Watchmen.

Connare originally designed Comic Sans specifically for comic book style talk bubbles and not for general use. The font’s initial name was Comic Book, however Connare didn’t think the name sounded fit for a typeface. He used sans referencing a sans-serif font because most of the lettering (except for the uppercase I) doesn’t have serifs, the small features at the end of strokes.

Fifteen years after Comic Sans induction, the font has been abused so excessively it threatens to erode the foundations upon which centuries of typographic history have been built. From Gutenberg’s letterpress to the digital age, type, like music and art, has a rich history.

Throughout history, the design of letterforms has been influenced by the prevailing cultural climate. The letters printed in Renaissance Europe by Johannes Gutenberg were a direct interpretation of the ornate gothic handwriting of the day — blackletter. Blackletter influenced the italic cut type, Bembo, which was informed by 16th century Italian handwriting.

Contemporary typography functions as a kind of weathervane for the era, with designers expressing themselves through type. Type is a voice; it’s very qualities and characteristics communicate to readers a meaning beyond mere syntax. This voice speaks louder than the text itself.

For example, when designing a “Do Not Enter,” “Danger” or “Caution” sign, the use of a heavy-stroked, attention-commanding font such as Gill Sans Bold or Bell Gothic Bold is appropriate. Traffic signs are set in sans-serif typefaces (actually called Highway Gothic) which are developed by the United States Federal Highway Administration to maximize legibility at a distance and high speed.

Typesetting such messages in Comic Sans would be ridiculous. Though this is sort of misuse is most common on posters around campus, it is unjustified. Comic Sans as a voice conveys silliness, irreverence, absurdity and is too casual for such a purpose. Writing your résumé in Comic Sans is analogous to showing up for a job interview in a clown costume.

Additionally, sans serif fonts are not typically used for large bodies of text. If you examine most textbooks, they are set in serif type.  This is because the serifs in text lead your eye from one letter to the next and promote easy comprehension. One more reason why Comic Sans shouldn’t be used for lengthy e-mails, college essays or exams.

On campus, typography is most effectively expressed through The Type Directors Club, the current show at the University Art Gallery.  The Type Directors club is an international organization founded in 1946 whose members include design professionals, typographic designers and typophiles. The exhibit features excellence in the use of typography, calligraphy, hand lettering and other letterforms.

The show clearly exemplifies the power and clarity of a well-chosen typeface. They’ve made it a point not to include Comic Sans.

This painting by Nawin Biadklang was featured in a past exhibit that featured three Thai exchange artists. Courtesy Photo.

Located next to the Robert E. Kennedy Library and Dexter Subs, the University Art Gallery is a convenient place to take a break. But despite the prominent location, “It is a very hard uphill battle to get students in here,” gallery coordinator Jeff Van Kleeck said.

Some students have no idea where the gallery is and some don’t even know there was an art gallery on campus. This is an issue Van Kleeck has been working on. By updating the Web site and interacting through social networks like Facebook and Twitter, Van Kleeck has tried to reach the Cal Poly community as well as San Luis Obispo residents.

Van Kleeck uses his budget to help create a a nurturing environment for students by bringing artists and other creative professionals to campus.

He said one of the most important parts of art is realizing that mistakes are allowed; the University Art Gallery is one of those environments where mistakes can lead to great works of art.

The Web site offers information on the exhibits (current and past), a calendar of the year’s shows, directions to the gallery and links to other recommended places to experience art. One part of the Web site being developed is a page where there will be interviews with the artists. There are also links to the new Facebook page and Twitter account. These are recent attempts to reach out and engage audiences.

Gallery employee and art and design junior Caitlin Beyer enjoys when people come in and engage in the art by asking questions. “If you have five minutes you can just walk through. You can walk around the gallery while you wait for your sandwich,” she said.

She added that coming into the art gallery is a good way to gain understanding of other disciplines.

“When you are a college student you are really focused on your own major. It’s nice to look around and enjoy it,” Beyer said. “You notice new things every day.”

The gallery is always open to the public and free.

“I think it is important to have (the gallery). Not just for art students but for everyone because there aren’t a lot of art museums in San Luis Obispo,” Beyer said.

Though there are other art venues in San Luis Obispo, they are not all aimed to engage students. One of the criteria in choosing an artist for an exhibit at the University Art Gallery is seeing if they could come and speak either for the opening or closing of the exhibit. There are many steps that must be taken when planning for an event in gallery.

Van Kleeck said he tries to get the best shows to the gallery and to use the budget effectively. The funding for the gallery is provded by College of Liberal Arts and the Instructionally Related Activities (IRA) fees. Van Kleeck said the gallery used to get money from Cal Poly Arts but due to budget cuts they were no longer able to help.

Even with budget issues the gallery is still open. It showed “Elemental: Thailand Artists Exchange” from Nov.12 to Dec. 5. It was part of an exchange of six Thai artists and five Californian artists. Cal Poly hosted three artists, including associate professor Prasert Pichayasoonthorn, a mixed media and installation artist; associate professor and painter Nawin Biadklang; and lecturer Prapakorn Sukonthamanee, a textile and fabric artist.

Next quarter the Thailand Artist Exchange will be replaced with another type of art. The next exhibit will be the Type Director’s Club featuring national award winning graphic design. Joshua Chen of Chen Design Associates was mentioned for excellence in typography for three projects by the club. He will be speaking at the exhibit opening on Jan. 15 from 6-7:30 p.m. in the University Art Gallery.

Every spring students’ work is featured in the gallery with the department of art and design Annual Juried Student Exhibition, which is evaluated by judges from outside of Cal Poly. This features student submissions from art classes in the last year in photography, graphic design, studio art and digital media. This show runs from April 16 to May 7. There is also the Senior Bachelor of Fine Arts Exhibition from May 14 to 28.

“I think that anyone when pressed can have creativity,” Van Kleeck said

The gallery is open to the public for free Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is in Dexter Building, Room 171.

In the gallery, a 6-foot sketch of three serious-looking faces with empty eye sockets are placed cheek-to-cheek. Mustang Daily photo

The University Art Gallery will feature the work of three Thai artists who have been invited to Cal Poly as part of a university artist exchange. Cal Poly’s exchange program with Silpakorn University in Bangkok, Thailand, gives faculty members at both universities an opportunity to travel overseas to visit and create art at other campuses. The Thai artists will  create different pieces that fit a theme, ultimately producing an entire gallery of work for Cal Poly to display.

The exchange began this summer with three Cal Poly faculty visiting Silpakorn University to create art that fit the program’s ‘water’ theme. Returning Silpakorn’s hospitality, Cal Poly is hosting the Thai artists for one week.

This year, the hospitality extends further than sharing the university campuses due to budget cuts. Instead of staying at a hotel as artists have in past years, the visiting artists are staying with faculty members to cut down on costs, art department Chair Sky Bergman said.

Art professor and exchange coordinator Michael Miller said that hosting the artists makes the experience “more intimate.”

Miller, who visited Thailand in the summer, said that the American and Thai group created the theme together.

“We felt like just the exchange in general, cultural exchange, is kind of elemental or essential to people in the globe getting along,” he said.

Part of creating a global unity is understanding other cultures. Miller said that he had to get used to the different style of Thai art.

“It takes time to understand the work. Just like if you’re listening to rap music. When you first listen to something that’s different, it looks all the same, sounds all the same. Then when you start to pay attention and you become friends with someone, it really starts to broaden out and it’s unique in many ways,” he said.

Artists in the West shy away from using symbolism, Miller said, while artists in the East heavily use symbolism in their work.

For one particular piece of art, Silpakorn project coordinator Sasivimol Santiratpakdee explains the different levels of wisdom in terms of a lotus flower being below or above water. The deeper a lotus is beneath the water, the more ignorant it is. As the lotus emerges above water, it achieves a deeper understanding and ultimately becomes wise.

Beginning last week, the artists brought their supplies to the gallery and began working on their pieces, which relate to Earth’s elements.

In the gallery, a 6-foot sketch of three serious-looking faces with empty eye sockets are placed cheek-to-cheek, waiting for artist Nawin Biadklang to fill in the empty space with his acrylic paints.

Santiratpakdee said that his piece, titled “Impermanence,” represents the elements of his soul.

Another artist sits on the ground next to Biadklang’s giant faces, focusing intently on a watercolor he’s painting. Colorful images of war protests, hands pulling back slingshots and political figures bleed on the thin pages scattered around Biadklang. He’s chosen “Wisdom” as his elemental theme and as the title of his work.

Watercolor artist Prasert Pichayasoonthorn explains in Thai to Santiratpakdee that he plans on wrapping the papers around wire, creating paper lanterns. The lanterns will hang at different levels to show the different levels of wisdom, the lower lanterns being less wise than the higher ones.

The third artist and first female faculty member invited on the exchange in the past 12 years, Prapakorn Sukonhamanee, has been weaving a colorful, traditional fishing net to hang in the gallery. Santiratpakdee said that each color takes about a day for Sukonhamanee to weave. The yellow, light pink, dark pink, red and blue layers on the 12-foot, webbed net mark the five days she’s worked on her creation, “Drop of Water.” She plans on adding more layers.

The day after the artists arrived in San Luis Obispo, Santiratpakdee gave a lecture in the art department on the facilities at Silpakorn University. More than 50 faculty and students showed up to the lecture. After the talk, Miller hosted a meet-and-greet with the artists over traditional Thai cuisine in the glass courtyard. Students lined up to try the noodles and curry. Miller tossed the noodles in the air, putting on a show for the art enthusiasts, and individually served each faculty member and student.

“It’s to get the students to meet the artists because food brings people together,” Miller said. “In the U.S., communities are so absent. It instantly creates a group of people (where) it interrupts their day; they talk and they have a good time.”

Miller hopes that every aspect of the exchange, including the gallery and the noodle gathering, will bring people from different cultures together. He especially hopes that the students will learn something from the Thai visitors.

“We’re really focusing on student involvement so seeing students come to these talks, seeing students eating is really important because really this is for the students.”

The University Art Gallery will be hosting an opening gala event on Nov. 12 beginning at 6 p.m.

Historically, the culmination of art and design seniors’ artistic progression depicted through their final projects have been displayed off campus. But for the first time, students and faculty can waltz into the University Art Gallery to experience the artists’ take on pertinent issues relevant to college students.

University Art Gallery coordinator Jeff Van Kleeck said the gallery was moved to campus due to budgetary issues, which proved to be a benefit in disguise. Students exhibited more of their work and was up longer than it was typically featured downtown.

“Most students are going to be dealing with issues that most students think about,” Van Kleeck added. “The ideas may not resonate with people downtown, you may get more people walking through, but a lot of the subject matter is on students’ mind. “Art is sort of the sounding board of what’s going on.”

One of the artists, Damon Bailey, focused on people’s fascination with violence and cultural interpretations of masculine stereotypes through oil paintings of fighters. Bailey said he attempts to draw from his personal experiences to explore man’s animalistic nature.

“For one reason or another it seems to be more accessible with the popularity of UFC, especially in this town with Chuck Liddell,” he added. “It has an equal sort of distaste because everybody wants to dismiss it as a primal act. What is this kind of escapism that they chose to embrace so much?”

Bailey’s colorful pictures of fight scenes featured overlaid geometric shapes to emphasize artistic symmetry. One painting had a rainbow of rays emitting from where the fighter’s fist struck his opponent’s face.

“I try to paint them with a kind of craft that makes them intellectual depictions of study rather than this guy’s face just beat in,” Bailey said. “What we are looking at is the analytic structure of the golden ratio; the whole idea of balance within chaos.”

The gallery also features studio artists Kyle Wilhelm, Ashley Wertheimer, Lauren O’Donnel and Alexa Putnam.

Wilhelm’s work characterizes the political implications of unions; a piece titled “Life Supports Lenin,” depicts a statue being constructed that is surrounded by scaffolding and lit by spotlights.

One of Putnam’s pieces, “The Wedding Dress,” is a decorated mattress adorned with lace and fabric floral arrangements. Wertheimer’s work depicts colorful scenic displays, one of which called “Taming the Gods” portrays organized scenery on the border that becomes nearly indistinguishable as the painting progesses towards the center. O’Donnel’s rather simple oil paintings emphasize the human body.

Yet, Van Kleeck is frustrated when he sees people wander into the gallery and leave quickly because it is impossible to truly assess the art in that short of time.

“People don’t spend the time to try and figure it out,” he said. “With art people need to spend more time struggling with it. ‘What is this about, why do I like it or dislike it?’ You should take it for what it is or what you are getting out of it; you don’t have to have same message (the artists) have.”

The difficulty for artists is learning how to market their work, Bailey said.

“The next step is for them to find a gallery that can sell their style of work,” Van Kleeck said.

The gallery will be open until May 30 and a closing reception will be held on May 29.