CULTURAL DIALECTICS december 1997 / planet of the arts 17 pography, Cultural Politics, and Surviving Stalinism by Harald Gravelsins he discussion that follows is an exercise in interpreting letter forms. It is guided by the intuition that there is a link between history and mark making styles, and that this link in turn influences typographic styles. The brief scope of this paper does not allow this intuition to be tested against a statistically significant selection of historical settings and their associated mark making practices. Instead the discussion centres on mark making and cultures that have relevance to the author. My parents were both born in Latvia and I have chosen to examine a selection of typographic styles that link directly or indi- rectly to the cultural history of that place. The Cultures of Nationalism, Displacement and Repression Latvians assert their existence as a people with more than a mil- lennium of historical and cultural achievement to bolster their claim of an autonomous collective identity. Since the beginning of the twentieth century Latvians have enjoyed political independence from their powerful neighbours (Germany and Russia) for only thir- ty years: between 1918 and 1940, and more recently since 1989. For most of their history, in fact, Latvians have been a politically subju- gated people. For the sake of this discussion, it is worth noting something of the recent, large shifts in the political fortunes of the Latvians — and, for that matter, their Baltic neighbours, the Estonians and the Lithuanians. The period between 1918 and 1940 was characterized by fervent nationalism and an ideology of rebirth and renewal. The economy at this time was primarily agricultural but was becoming increasingly industrialized as a matter of nationalist public policy. Starting in the late 1930s, the renewal of war between Germany and Russia was anticipated and dreaded — it was widely expected that the consequences of this impending conflict for the Baltic region would be devastating. They were. The outbreak of hostilities between Latvia’s imperial- istic neighbours resulted in the annexation of the Baltic states into the Soviet Union. Over the course of the war, over three hundred thousand Latvians out of a pre-war population of barely two million died, were deported to Siberia or fled westward. Like hundreds of thousands of other so-called “displaced people” (refugees prior to the era of internationally codified human rights) each of my parents wound up ina “D.P. camp” in Germany. Each of them made repeat- ed applications for permanent entry into countries that had fought Hitler and now opposed Stalin: Australia, England, the United States, etc., before being granted entry into Canada. War separated each of my parents from their entire families. My siblings and I have had no connection to an extended family except through stories told to us by our parents. Until 1989, correspon- dence between Canada and Latvia was subject to police surveillance, resulting in fairly restrained and infrequent communication. What was conveyed to me through the memories of my parents was a notion of Latvian culture that can be categorized into three distinct epochs: nationalist politics and independence; dislocation and uncertainty; and repressive occupation. Cultural expression draws upon many things but perhaps espe- cially upon recent articulations of culture and the events — historical and private — impacting people’s daily social existence. The course of historical development is by no means linear but is instead fre- quently disjointed by significant interventions and displacements. Any interpretation of cultural artefacts must be sensitive to the ambiguity that arises as a consequence of social disruption and dis- continuity. At the same time, examining cultural artefacts affords us the opportunity to explore how social disruptions are accommodat- ed within collective cultural practices such as mark making, and hence within associated typographical practices. The framework for this paper, then, is the disrupted and dis- placed cultural memories that have been passed on to me by my par- ents, two refugee Latvians cut off from the cultural realm in which they were born and raised, cut off by the international politics of totalitarian socialism in conflict initially with imperialist fascism and subsequently with liberal capitalism. These memories have interpre- tive resonance in the mark making and typography in books that Interpreting Latvian letter forms and finding that the typographical is political. were either brought to Canada by my parents or that were sent here more recently as gifts which made it past the Soviet censors. Typography as Cultural Projection The first item I would like to examine (figure 1) has no letter forms in it, but promises to be important in our examination below of explicitly typographic specimens. The item dates from 1950 and is a woodcut image that depicts a male figure holding up a banner. The banner is recognizable within the context of the composition as the Latvian flag. This flag consists of three horizontal bands of solid colour: maroon-white-maroon rendered monochromatically. There are a number of interesting features pertaining to the mark making and other visual design elements employed in this composi- tion. The woodcut aesthetic in Europe tends to be associated more with rural than with urban visual culture. The rustic simplicity of the line qualities of the woodcut print and its monochromatic char- acter contrast with the more delicately rendered images and complex colourings of leading contemporaneous speci- mens of urban visual culture. The overall aesthetic of this image, there- fore, evokes cultural time and place. This is fit- ting, since the publication in which it appears is a book of poems by a Latvian nationalist author deported to Siberia in 1941 for his polit- ical views. The audience for the book consisted of inhabitants in German D.P. camps deeply uncertain of their future who are implored, both by the contents of the book and by the publisher’s account of the martyrdom of the author, to maintain faith that, wherever they might eventually find lasting refuge, they will return someday to a free Latvia. The poet describes the soil of Latvia as the sacred site in which Latvia’s identity will continue to reside even as its citizens are arrested, killed, dis- placed, deported or otherwise politically silenced. More pertinent for the sake of the discus- sion here, it is worth noticing the three 8-point- ed stars. These are a visual reference whose structure corresponds precisely to the topmost component~on the Freedom and Solidarity monument in Riga, the capital of Latvia. The image proposes that the base of the monument be considered not as a small part of an actual streetscape of a city under military occupation but as the rural landscape of the entire country. The image also proposed that the actual 5-point format of the stars on the monument be substituted conceptually. The most plausible interpretation for this substitution is that the 5-point format was in use on the Soviet flag and in Soviet visual com- munication in general. Russian occupying Frontispiece to poetry book (fig. 3) forces might have considered it fortuitous, if not historically inevitable, that the Latvian Freedom and Solidarity monument had been capped by a symbol of proletarian vanguardism. For the tens of thousands of Latvians whose pocket change had been solicited through the private initiative that financed and built the monument, the stars represented the three regions of Latvia. Many donors would have had fathers and grandfathers who volunteered to join mutinous Latvians previously in military service to the Czar of Russia. With their shotguns, shovels, sling shots, and the diplomatic blessing of England, in November 1918 this mixture of rag-tag freedom fighters was able to get Lenin and his Bolshevik Revolutionary Government to agree to relinquish all Russian claims to Latvian territory. The contrary meanings available from reading the 5-pointed star on the Freedom and Solidarity monument appear to have motivat- ed the artist to reconfigure them in a more particularistically Latvian manner. These stars are rendered in a highly stylized manner that adheres to a geometric scheme based on a vertical-horizontal grid. continued on page 18... Woodcut print of Latvian patriot (fig. 1) LRAINIS LEL TA STE TIN DZEJOLI BERNIEM Split-stroke display type (fig. 4) CULTURAL DIALECTICS december 1997 / planet of the arts 17 Typography, Cultural Politics, and Surviving Stalinism by Harald Gravelsins. he discussion that follows is an exercise in interpreting eter forms. I is guided by the intuition that there isa link between history and mark making styles, and that this ink in tur influences typographic styles. ‘The bref scope ofthis paper doesnot allow this intuition tobe tested against a statistically significant selection of historical settings and their asocated i making practices. Instead the discussion entes on mark making and cultures that have relevance tthe author. My parent were both born in Latvia and Ihave chosen to examine selection of typographic styles that link directly or id rectly tthe cultural history of that place ‘The Cultures of Nationalism, Displacement and Repression Lawians assert their existence a8 a people with more than a mil lenniam of historical and cultural achievement to bolster their aim of an autonomous collective identity, Since the beginning ofthe twentieth century Latvians have enjoyed political independence from their powerful neighbours (Germany and Rusia) for only thir ty years: between 1918 and 1940, and more recently since 1989. For ‘most oftheir history, infact, Latvians have been apolitical subju ated people For the sak ofthis dscusion, iti worth noting something of ‘the recent, age shits in the politi fortunes ofthe Latvians an, for that mater, thei Bskic neighbours, the Estonian and the Lithuanians. The period between 1918 and 1940 was characterized by fervent nationalism and an idology of rebirth and renewal. The ‘economy at this time was primarily agricultural but was becoming Increasingly industrialized asa me nalist public policy Starting in the ate 1930s, the renewal of wa between Germany and Russa was anticipated and dreaded it w thatthe consequences ofthis impending confit forthe Baltic region would beidevastatng They were. The outbreak of hostilities between Lt istic neighbours resulted in the annexation ofthe Bali thousand Latvians out ofa pre-war population of barely two million ria or fed we to us by our parents. Until 1989, conveyed to me through the memories of my parents fon of Latvian culture that canbe categorized int three distinct. epochs: nationalist politics and independence; dislocation and ‘uncertainty and repressive occupation. ‘Cultural expression draws upon many things but perhaps espe ly pon recent articulations af eltare and the events historical ently disjointed by significant intr Any interpretation of cultural arteficts must be ambiguity that arses as a consequence of soil disruption a continuity AL the same time, examining ealtral ar rs us the opportunity to explore how socal disruptions ate aecommodat: cal within collestive cultural practices such as mark making, and hence within associated typographical practices, The framework for this paper then, isthe disrupted and di ‘place cultural memories that have sen passed on tome by my pr ultra realm in which subsequently with Ki sve interpre tive resonance inthe mark making and typography in books that Interpreting Latvian letter forms ‘were either brought to Canada by my parents or that were sent here more recently a gifts which made it past the Soviet censors Typography as Cultural Projection The frst item I would like to examine (Figure 1) as no letter forms init, but promises to be important in our examination bow ‘of explicitly typographic specimens. The item dates fom 1950 and isa woodcut image that depicts a male gure holding up a banner. ‘The banner i ecognizabe within the context of the composition as the Latvian ig This flag consists of thee horizontal bands of solid «colour: maroon-white-maroon rendered monochromatic There area numberof intresting features pertaining to the mark making and other visual design cements employed inthis compos: tion. The woodcut aesthetic in Europe tens to be asocated more ‘with rural than with urban visual culture, The rustic simplicity of the ine qualities ofthe woodcut print and its monochs acter contrast with the more delicately rendered images and complex colourings of leading contemporancous spec char sens of urban visual culture. The overall aesthetic of this image, there fore, evokes cultural time and place. This fit ting snce the publication in which it appoas is 4 book of poems by a Latvian nationalist author deported to Siberia in 1941 fr hs pol The audience forthe book consisted of inhabitants in German DLP. camps deeply uncertain of the future who are implored, by the contents of the book and by the her's account of the martyrdom of the thor, to maintain faith tat, wherever they right eventually find lasting refuge, they will retum someday to a fee Latvia, The post citizens are arrested, killed, dis ton the Freedom and Solidarity iment in Rig, the capital of Lavi, The image proposes thatthe bas ofthe monument be considered not as small part of an actual streetscape ofa city under military occupation ‘buts the rural andscape of the entire country. The image also proposed that the actual 5 point format ofthe stars on the monument be substituted conceptually The most plausible interpretation for this substitution is tha the 5-point format was in ‘ue on the Soviet lg and in Soviet visual com munication in general, Russian occupying, typographical is political. Wood print of Latvian patiot 9.1) forces might have considered it fortuitous, if not historically inevitable, that the Latvian Freedom and Solidarity monument had been eapped bya symbol of proletarian vanguardism. For the tens of th wands of Latvians whose pocket change had been solicited hrough the private init that financed and built the monument, the stars epresented the thee regions of Lavi. Many donors would have had fathers and grandfathers who voluntceredto join mutinous Latvians previously in military service tothe Czar of Rusia. With their shotguns, shoves, sling shots, and the diplomatic bles of England, in November 1918 this mixture of rag-tag freedom fighters was able to get Lenin and his Bolshevik Revolutionary Goverament to agree to reinguih ll Russian clams to Latvian territory. The contrary meanings available from reading the 5-poined star ‘on the Freedom and Solidarity monument appear to have motva. the artist o reconfigure them ina more particularily Latvian ‘manner. These stars are rendered in a highly stylized manner that adheres toa geometric scheme based on a vertical-horzontal grid }RAINIS ZELTA SIE TINS D2E}OLI BERNIEM, Frontispiece to poetry Book (ig. 3) Spli-stoke display type a.)