Table of contents for Issue 9 in Jam Today

Volume 9 Welcome to a world where creativity knows no limits! In this issue, we’re diving into a whirlwind of materials, colours, and techniques that push the boundaries of imagination. From bold experiments to daring new forms, we invite you to step into the minds of artists who saw endless possibilities in the most unexpected places. We begin our journey With Edward Sushter and Claudia Moseley, who formed an art studio called Sushter + Moseley through the amalgamation of two minds with a love for light. Followed by Filipp Kabanyayev, who was so fascinated by the light that he discovered an exciting art form called light painting. From the love for light to typefaces, we dive into Lorenz Gianfreda, a typeface designer who believes that a ‘font is never complete.’…

Jam Today: How did you start with the concept of light paintings? Filipp habanyayev: Since childhood, I’ve loved colouring. In 2015, while exploring creative ways to illuminate my subjects, I discovered light painting photography. It felt like a lightbulb went off in my head-I could literally colour anything with light. This technique blends my passion for photography and my love for colouring, allowing me to reveal the hidden magic in ordinary objects. “This technique blends my passion for photography and my love for colouring, allowing me to reveal the hidden magic in ordinary objects” “I realised that the workings of nature are rooted in the fundamental processes of the universe itself.” JT: How did you develop the idea of beginning with darkness in your photography? What is the concept behind…

Jam Today: Your paintings often combine structured geometric elements with organic, abstract strokes; how do you find the balance? Patrick Piccinelli: I always start with a minimal geometric structure. At this stage, I work on the composition on a formal and chromatic level until I am happy with the whole. When this stage is complete, I look at the painting for a while, mentally projecting a trace, splashes, stains or lines drawn on the composition. Then comes the (perilous!) moment when I realize what I have imagined. Then, of course, the trace, the stains, the lines must upset, disturb the composition, but at the same time, must establish a harmonious visual dialogue. “Musicians like the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Keith Jarrett, miles Davis, Herbie Hancock influenced me by their great…

So many materials, so many colours, and so many techniques; in a world filled with countless materials, many go unnoticed in our daily lives. But some visionary artists have taken a closer look, unlocking the hidden potential within. They’ve transformed these overlooked elements into groundbreaking art, expanding our imaginations and bringing something new. In this issue, we’ll explore how these creative minds have reimagined the familiar and turned raw materials into works of art that challenge and inspire. Let’s discover the fascinating creations that emerge when art and curiosity collide.…

Jam Today: Which is the first typeface that you designed? Lorenz Gianfreda: Instead of an actual typeface, the first font I created was more of an experiment with the software called “Fontographer” on my first Mac in 1995. It’s a collection of dingbats with a sheep character called “Flossy”, designed in vectors on Adobe Illustrator 5. x. I hardly remember how technically tricky it was to generate a working Postscript Type 1 († 2023) font then. One wrong parameter in the vast amount of output settings caused a non-functioning font or even a system crash. With lessons learned from “BD Flossy” - which is still available on our font foundry website typedifferent.com - I created “BD Plakatbau” in the same year - which was used later on the “Kid A”…

Jam Today: You talk about the magic of light. UUhat is it about light that struck you to create art? Edward Shuster: Light is not a simple phenomenon of nature but more like an ontological intermediary that operates across different planes: informational, natural, subtle, and imaginal. This idea underpins the ancient Platonic concept of vision, which had two characteristics - ‘passive vision’ and ‘active vision’ - an idea that has been reinforced through the history of science, where empirical study has led to further entanglements between light and mind. Today, our bodies and minds are exposed to informational light at incredible, disorienting speeds and intensities. But our ancestors already positioned their most profound philosophies in the interfacing of light, considered in this ontological context, which we can think of as…