Matthijs van Leeuwen

matthijsvanleeuwen

Matthijs van Leeuwen is a Netherlands based designer with a solid and diverse portfolio.

I really love portfolios like this. You can quickly scan the entire body of work and when you make a selection, you’re presented with a high-res photo of the piece. Those two elements are the key to a great online portfolio.        

RE—C Type Family

RE—C is a lovely new typeface by the talented Emil Olsson that is based on mix of french elegance and computer aesthetics. I personally love the “R”.

It’s available in 3 weights (Light, Regular, Bold) and only in upper-case characters. You can get the entire family for only $47 or individual weights for $19 each. A bargain if you ask me.

Download the type specimen        

Typographic Conundrums

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Conundrums is a striking new book, designed by Harry Pearce of Pentagram, that presents a collection of typographic puzzles constrained by three simple rules: one box, two colours, a single typeface. The typeface used is AG Old Face designed by Guenter Gerhard Lange in 1984 for the H. Berthold AG type foundry.

Beautiful. You can grab a copy for only $10 at Amazon.        

Vintage Audi Poster

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Today I received an email with the following image attached from an AisleOne reader named Rob, who’s a designer and instructor. According to Rob, the image of the poster was found by one of his students who was doing research for a report. No info can be found about it, other than it being created by the great Armin Hofmann.

I did a little research myself and couldn’t find any info about this poster, but I did find info on the model shown. It’s an Audi 60 which was produced from 1968 to 1972, giving us a slight idea as to when the poster was created.

What strikes me the most about this poster is the simplicity, elegance and beauty of the visual. The white background, large type and straight-on angle of the car create a stunning image. Rob explained it well in the email:

I love the way the AUDI logo is reflected in the roof of the car and visible through the back window, which would have been a lot more difficult to achieve in the pre-Photoshop era.

I agree.

As for the typeface used, it’s hard to tell but it seems like it could be either Akzidenz Grotesk or Univers. Anyone?

I wish there was more info on this poster and I wonder if there was a series of them done by Hofmann. If anyone has any info, please email me. In the meantime, we can all admire its beauty.        

Arthur Erickson & Japan Poster

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Love this poster for an event called Arthur Erickson & Japan that focuses on modernist architect Arthur Erickson’s journey to Japan in 1961. Not sure who designed it but the big bold type, white text on black, two-column grid and the uneven horizontal strips of color make for a beautiful design.        

Experimental Jetset Shirts Reissued

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After a year of being out-of-print, the excellent collection of t-shirts by Experimental Jetset are being reissued by Yoshi Kawasaki’s new label, Publik.

The first designs available are John & Paul & Ringo & George, New Wave/Neue Welle/Nouvelle Vague, Cu Vi Estas Esperantisto?, Flag/Sabbath/Big and Grow Your Hair. All are available in several color combinations.

I personally have the New Wave/Neue Welle/Nouvelle Vague and Cu Vi Estas Esperantisto? tee’s and they’re awesome. Might have to get these new color combos.

You can get more info on the designs here, here and here.