Werner Schneider

Statement regarding my activities in lettering art

It has always been important to me as an artist in the field of lettering to show script in its purest forms. In an age dominated by the computer, a machine that quite frequently distorts script and produces caricatures, I feel a strong obligation to the aesthetic aspects of a cultural asset with a long standing tradition. I feel that classical forms deserve our deepest respect. My work focuses primarily on reaching a high quality both in regard to static as well as dynamic expression.

I am also strongly interested in giving language a shape that represents its original content in an adequate and modern form. The fascination I have with rhythm that is such an important aspect of writing done by hand has lead me to design my work close to scriptorial forms. Even though I prefer an expressive and spontaneous approach to lettering, this art form should nevertheless still be accessible to critique and not dissolve in a jungle of shapes. We already have plenty of those and we should not increase their number by adding calligraphic grimaces.