A few notes on the dynamics of fluidity and friction.
1, 2 and 3.
The corridor as the space between two (or more) entities or forces still fascinates me. It is a buffer zone of contact. An area of fluidity and/or friction. It retracts and contracts, its flexibility responds to the increment or receding forces and pressure.
The corridor is a river, a road, a canyon and its dynamics are impressive. It is a gap that divides and separates. It is the gap that urges to connect and attach. You can move along in the corridor or you can cross the corridor from either side.
The corridor is the friction surface that generates energy. Positive and negative.
4, 6, and 7
The basic dynamics of appearance of the scripts.
By default latin flows from the left to the right (the way it is written)
The arabic flow from the right to the left (the way it is written)
By letting the scripts flow simultaneously a surface of friction generates friction in their appearance. Both are still legible, but still a visual conflict rises.
5
Slicing the scripts horizontally and have the flow as described above, with one half script above and one half script below, will decrease legibility and increase visual conflict even more. Yet, due to its increasing abstract forms, new unfamiliar visual shapes will appear. The conflict becomes confusion or acceptance of form.
8
When the corridor/dividing line narrows and even overlaps the scripts overlap and blur into each other. If the writing or typesetting system offers spaces that enable each glyph of the scripts to alternate, somehow the scripts will intertwine. Like a mechanical wheel with teeth or any other mechanical motion system.
9.
Animation. I came across a video title I made with the idea of masked texts. Through the open spaces of letters another text appears. The effect of the changing shapes is very graphic and dynamic. Here a test in Dutch and Arabic. 2 x 1 minute.
maxkisman.com/maskingmessages/maskingmessages.swf
MK04082009
