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HANDSELECTA

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  1. Some flix of Espo's recently shuddered Coney Island studio. All via Grotesk's Flickr. A lot of the brush script lettering work is by Matt Wright.
  2. Some flix in my collection courtesy of Mesk AFU.
  3. F*cking Brilliant. Can't believe it got made on a network. Best thing I've seen since The Wire. Hoping it gets the ratings to keep going, but I'm a little nervous it'll end up canceled. Seems too good to be recognized.
  4. I'm breakin one of my own rules by even replying on a subject that I am personally involved with, but there are a couple of things that I think deserve a response. ONE: Handselecta is dedicated to graf. We have an appreciation and understanding of handstyles and are trying to take that to the next level. Handstyles are not fonts and fonts are not graf. They are two different things. But fonts can be based on graf and (with a few compromises) can make really great fonts. It just so happens that the graf fonts out there to date have sucked. This is where we entered the picture. TWO: As for the city style thing. I truly believe that this is the glue that holds this project together and makes it relevant to not just graf heads but to the history of art and design. This is our thesis because it is the piece of graf history that has largely been overlooked. That being said, many artists are reluctant to bust styles that are classic to their city or generalized because they dont want to be the one to benefit from the innovators who have come before them. I understand this and am sympathetic, but that doesnt negate the fact that where you are from is part of what defines you, and the writers you are looking at influence you. Especially for the generations that were lucky enough to grow up before this internet thing. Joker, Mesk and Rust for example are just one chapter of DC graf. So what if they haven't bombed there in years. Would you be happier if they didn't rep DC? Here's the thing. It's a self selecting group who are even interested in developing fonts. Some guys are down to be involved and some guys aren't. And for various reasons, including not wanting to make their style available for any schmuck to use. Or not wanting to compromise the energy of a hand done thing to the rigidity of the way it comes out when digitized. Some just don't think it makes good business sense for them. With this project I can only work with writers who want to work with me. The roster we have been blessed to work with so far has been fantastic but is in no way definitive. We know this. But we aren't drawing the curtain. We're open to working with anyone wanting to work with us. But it may take a little while. This an Entrepeurial DIY venture, and almost all of the work is done by myself. THREE: How did some of these writers get down? We're just friends. And when we start doing work that the writers are proud of they introduce you to their friends, and it is kind of an organic process form there. Dude, if you have like a graffiti yellow pages where I could get the phone numbers for Cornbread or Topcat or Cool Disco Dan or Chaz Bojorquez that would be sweet! I hope we get all the writers that we respect to be involved but it might take a little time. FOUR: Price. Get over it. The prices are competitive with every professional type foundry out there. (a base price of $45 a font) This is (1) because it is fair to all involved and (2) because that is what a font is worth. If you're looking for free or cheap fonts you will get what you pay for. You are either a student or you are not a professional designer. Period. Hopefully you can bill your client an extra hour to buy the materials needed to do your work. I'm psyched people are even talking about this, and am in no way heated. I'm just trying to do my little part to advance this artform and have been psyched to work with the writers I've met to date. Any one with a real question or a serious beef that they or their city is not reperesented correctly can get in contact with me directly. Christian Handselecta
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