News: A theater poster with swiss - arabic typography
September 5, 2008, received from Res Eichenberger

Res Eichenberger, a young graphic designer from Switzerland, recently sent me a theater poster that was among the 100 best posters Germany Austria Switzerland. He wrote: "und du bisch duss!" ("and you're out!") was a proposal for the 19. Lucerne School Theatre Days (2007). Its about social exclusion. The poster reduces the complex topic to language and typography. The design combines the Latin alphabet with an imitating Arabic alphabet. (remember that we're using the Arabic numerals). Project at HSLU D&K (Lucerne) with Ralph Schraivogel and Yves Nussbaum. Res Eichenberger was born in 1984 in Buelach, Switzerland. He is a graphic designer who studied at Zurich University of the Arts, ZHDK (2004-2005), at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Art (2005-2008) and at the Royal Academy of Art and Design KABK, The Hague, NL (2007). He is concentrating on typography and printed matter. The title "und Du bisch duss" is the last verse of a swiss counting rhyme Aazelle, Boelle schelle d'Chatz gaht uf Walliselle chunt sie wieder hei haet sie chrummi Bei pif, paf, puf und Du bisch duss! who's absurd poetry became apparent to me only when I tried to translate it into english Counting-out, peeling onions the cat goes to Wallisellen (a village close tu Zuerich) coming back with bow legs pif, paf, puf and you are out, truly out! I think Eichenberger's weird typography catches something of the flavour of the rhyme.