‘Toponymy art helps people understand a place better’

MANAGLURU: Artist and advertising professional Sithesh C Govind of

Mangaluru

has pulled off the ‘place – name – typography’ connection for Mangaluru, Goa and Bengaluru based on

toponymy

(

the study of place names

). Sithesh, 38, has created

typography

after studying the names of different places there.

With his creative brush strokes, he has portrayed places on canvas such that they invoke memories of these places. Some typography created for places of Mangaluru are Kudla (Mangaluru is also known as Kudla), Pilikula, Neermarga, Kapikad, Kodikal and Nethravati. He told TOI that toponymy is the study of place names, their origins, meanings, use and typology. He said toponymy can be applied while preparing signboards in major cities and towns as they help people understand the place with information.

“I’ve studied some place names and their origin and decided to start Place Name Typography a few years ago. I think it’s unique and should be popularised. I’d also like to suggest instead of placing regular destination nameboard in cities, this is something unique and will also provide more information about place names and their origin,” he said.

Typography, he said, is an art and the technique of arranging type to make the written language readable and appealing. “The arrangement of type involves selecting typefaces, point size, line length, line-spacing (leading), letter-spacing (tracking), and adjusting the space within letter-pairs. Type design is a closely related craft, sometimes considered part of typography. In modern times, typography has been used in film, television and online broadcasts to add emotion to communication.

Typography is done by typesetters, compositors, typographers, graphic designers, art directors, comic book artists, graffiti artists, and all those who arrange type. Earlier, typography was a specialized occupation. Digitization has opened it up to visual designers and lay users too,” he said.

Sithesh is currently working on type for more important place names, both national and international. He’s in touch with people’s representatives to introduce signboards of topography for places in Mangaluru.


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