THE MIGHTY RIO GRANDE: A TRILOGY
THE MIGHTY RIO GRANDE: A TRILOGY
PART 1
PART 1
The Mighty Rio Grande: A Typographic and Personal Song Analysis
The Mighty Rio Grande: A Typographic and Personal Song Analysis
The Mighty Rio Grande: A Typographic and Personal Song Analysis
For a typographic study, I compiled a book full of 32 designed covers inspired by the song, The Mighty Rio Grande by This Will Destroy You. Each set of four covers explored different parameters—from single-font, 12-point compositions with no color, to layered designs using mixed weights, rule blocks, and full CMYK color. Using only one typeface for the entire book, I chose Baskerville to reflect the song’s human and tender energy, translating its emotional breadth into something visual. The instrumental and emotional nature of The Mighty Rio Grande allowed me to explore themes of sonder—the realization that every passing stranger has a life as vivid and complex as your own—through my designs. Thinking about the lives we all lead, I feel like The Mighty Rio Grande is just a sonic representation of how sometimes it’s okay if a feeling or a situation can’t be defined. In a sense, that is life. Some things just happen for no reason. It’s a fact that will remain unchanged as long as we shall live. But, we do have the ability to change how we feel about the things that happen to us. Moments of excitement, joy, pain, and despair are all a part of what makes us who we are. We’re always growing, always moving with the current that is life. There is no map, no boat, no paddle. All we can do is just submit.
For a typographic study, I compiled a book full of 32 designed covers inspired by the song, The Mighty Rio Grande by This Will Destroy You. Each set of four covers explored different parameters—from single-font, 12-point compositions with no color, to layered designs using mixed weights, rule blocks, and full CMYK color. Using only one typeface for the entire book, I chose Baskerville to reflect the song’s human and tender energy, translating its emotional breadth into something visual. The instrumental and emotional nature of The Mighty Rio Grande allowed me to explore themes of sonder—the realization that every passing stranger has a life as vivid and complex as your own—through my designs. Thinking about the lives we all lead, I feel like The Mighty Rio Grande is just a sonic representation of how sometimes it’s okay if a feeling or a situation can’t be defined. In a sense, that is life. Some things just happen for no reason. It’s a fact that will remain unchanged as long as we shall live. But, we do have the ability to change how we feel about the things that happen to us. Moments of excitement, joy, pain, and despair are all a part of what makes us who we are. We’re always growing, always moving with the current that is life. There is no map, no boat, no paddle. All we can do is just submit.
As a part of a typographic study, I compiled a book full of 32 designed covers inspired by the song, The Mighty Rio Grande by This Will Destroy You. Each set of four covers explored different parameters—from single-font, 12-point compositions with no color, to layered designs using mixed weights, rule blocks, and full CMYK color. Using only one typeface for the entire book, I chose Baskerville to translate the song’s tender sound into something visual. through The instrumental and emotional nature of The Mighty Rio Grande, i explored themes of sonder—the realization that every passing stranger has a life as vivid and complex as our own. Thinking about the lives we all lead, I feel like The Mighty Rio Grande is just a sonic representation of how sometimes it’s okay if a feeling or a situation can’t be defined. In a sense, that is life. Some things just happen for no reason. It’s a fact that will remain unchanged as long as we shall live. But, we do have the ability to change how we feel about the things that happen to us. Moments of excitement, joy, pain, and despair are all a part of what makes us who we are. We’re always growing, always moving with the current that is life. There is no map, no boat, no paddle. All we can do is just submit.
part 2
part 2
The Sailor & The Rapids
The Sailor & The Rapids
A short film created from found and public domain footage, expanding on the themes of life and sonder explored in The Mighty Rio Grande. The Sailor & The Rapids tells the story of a boy, rough and scorned, whose boat crashes in the river rapids, processing life’s negativity. Concepts of nihilism and existentialism interact in this film.
A short film created from found and public domain footage, expanding on the themes of life and sonder explored in The Mighty Rio Grande. The Sailor & The Rapids tells the story of a boy, rough and scorned, whose boat crashes in the river rapids, processing life’s negativity. Concepts of nihilism and existentialism interact in this film.
a short film created from public domain and found footage, the Sailor & The Rapids tells the story of a scorned boy, whose boat crashes in the river rapids, processing life’s more negative experiences. Concepts of nihilism and existentialism interact in this film.
Part 3
Part 3
The Bay
The Bay
This zine spread further expands on the themes of The Mighty Rio Grande and The Sailor & The Rapids. The Bay is a manifestation of introspection, nostalgia, anger, confusion, and all of the feelings that come with leaving childhood and adolescence. The internal struggle with the adult that you are now, and the child that once was (but still inside you). It's a known fact that our upbringing shapes the way we live our lives today, but it's harder to understand that in the specific context of our own lives. We are not all given the same tools growing up, and the realization of the fact may feel grieving, that maybe we were given some faulty tools. Sometimes it's difficult to digest. Sometimes you long for the days when you were unaware of it all.
This zine spread further expands on the themes of The Mighty Rio Grande and The Sailor & The Rapids. The Bay is a manifestation of introspection, nostalgia, anger, confusion, and all of the feelings that come with leaving childhood and adolescence. The internal struggle with the adult that you are now, and the child that once was (but still inside you). It's a known fact that our upbringing shapes the way we live our lives today, but it's harder to understand that in the specific context of our own lives. We are not all given the same tools growing up, and the realization of the fact may feel grieving, that maybe we were given some faulty tools. Sometimes it's difficult to digest. Sometimes you long for the days when you were unaware of it all.
The Bay is a manifestation of introspection, nostalgia, anger, confusion, and all of the feelings that come with leaving childhood and adolescence. The internal struggle with the adult that you are now, and the child that once was (but still inside you). It's a known fact that our upbringing shapes the way we live our lives today, but it's harder to understand that in the specific context of our own lives. We are not all given the same tools growing up, and the realization of the fact may feel grieving, that maybe we were given some faulty tools. Sometimes it's difficult to digest. Sometimes you long for the days when you were unaware of it all.
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10:13:44 PM