My Dear Friend,
Files
Description
Dimensions: 30 inches wide, 36 inches tall
Inkjet on matte paper, printed on both sides
Artist's narrative: Letter 10 was written on Nov. 23, 1892. Dunbar wrote this letter from Dayton, Ohio. The reader can see two sides of Dunbar. Dunbar begins the letter by discussing how he is very thankful for his friend J.N. Matthews. As the letter goes on, Dunbar begins to undermine himself with great self-doubt. While the overall meaning of the letter is uplifting and communicates how thankful Dunbar is for Matthews, Dunbar is conflicted on the inside. The poster design aims to convey his internal conflict. Two topographic layers help describe the struggles of Dunbar. Corundum text was designed by African American designer Joshua Darden. Darden published his first typeface at the age of 15, which is similar to Dunbar being a published author around that same age. The sans serif used is Elido, which was designed by Sibylle Hajman, who was a Swedish immigrant to America.
Publication Date
Fall 10-23-2023
Keywords
Paul Laurence Dunbar, Typography, Graphic design, Ohio history, Black history
Disciplines
Art and Design
Recommended Citation
Wardzala, John, "My Dear Friend," (2023). Life in Letters: A Typographic Poster Exhibition Featuring Paul Laurence Dunbar. 25.
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/stu_vad_dunbarletters/25
Comments
Copyright © 2023 by the artist.