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Locating our feet
by Catherine Griffiths
In the 1980s, Shed 11 was re-envisioned as an art gallery, an outreach space of the National Art Gallery, thanks to then-director, Luit Bieringa. I recall the newly restored shed’s sizeable timber doors, painted a striking mid-tone blue, and streaked with two enormous vertical brush strokes of white paint to form the number ‘11’.
This lofty abstraction insinuated innovation and ripeness, a comment on the art vision for the shed itself, and perhaps Wellington, and even New Zealand. The shed became associated with art of consequence. Of course, this idea, along with its typography of substance, went the way of many a good idea. But this part of the shed’s collective memory sits well with TypeSHED11.
TypeSHED11 aims to raise the stakes of typography’s role in New Zealand – socially, politically and culturally. With typography the thread, TypeSHED11 will provide an international and uncompromising framework for content and meaning, leaving ground for practitioners, students, academics and theorists to clutch a rare opportunity, both formally and otherwise, to tease out ideas and critical thought, to participate in rigorous debate and dialogue.
A remarkable group of some of the key figures in world design and typography will be here, along with new and future names. They will intermingle with New Zealanders and those at TypeSHED11 from around the globe, where, beyond the formal presentations, serendipity and the unexpected will play a part in reinforcing a foundation for New Zealand to participate in the global typography debates.
TypeSHED11 is a one-of-a-kind moment for New Zealand to be exposed to fine and informed minds on the subject of typography and its place. It is typography – letterforms, their combination and sequences – that carries the weight of written meaning into our lives. Considered typography must fill that space between content and its audience.
As New Zealand endeavours to locate its typographic feet, TypeSHED11 will be a concoction of clued-up commentary to fire up a sense of purpose and expression.
Catherine Griffiths / 2009
Catherine Griffiths organised, together with Simone Wolf of Typevents Italy, TypeSHED11, an international typography symposium held in New Zealand.
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Photograph: Guy Robinson, 1986
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04 writing & critique
Walk With Me
by Stephen Cleland, curatorial essay, »Catherine Griffiths | Walk Wth Me«, Te Wai Ngutu Kākā Gallery, Aotearoa NZ, July 2025
On the Expanded
by Megan Patty, curatorial essay, »Catherine Griffiths Out of Line«, The Design Gallery, University of Melbourne, May 2025
The Shapes of Sound
by Ela Egidy, curatorial essay, »Catherine Griffiths Out of Line«, The Design Gallery, University of Melbourne, May 2025
A paper record
by Catherine Griffiths, introduction text, ‘Present Tense : Wāhine Toi Aotearoa — a paper record.’, Aoteaora NZ, May 2023
An installation on an installation on an installation ...
Artist statement, »catherine griffiths : SOLO IN [ ] SPACE« A documentation, Pocca, CHINA
September 2021
Porto Design Summer School 2017
Looking back on the fifth edition
April 2018
Notes from ‘Designing the perfect photobook’
A short talk as part of a panel discussion, PhotobookNZ
March 2016
A meditation
Sir Ian Athfield, 1940 — 2015
by Catherine Griffiths
Architectural Centre, NZ
April 2015
The Design Kids interview
The Design Kids, Jul 2015
A Playlist : CG >> CG
by Catherine Griffiths
DPAG Late Breakfast Show, NZ, Aug 2014
Body, Mind, Somehow: The Text Art of Catherine Griffiths
by Gregory O’Brien
Art New Zealand #150, NZ, 2014
Nothing in Mind
by Chloe Geoghegan
typ gr ph c, Aug 2014
typ gr ph c in Strips Club
by Catherine Griffiths
Strips Club journal, Mar 2014
In the Neighbourhood
by Catherine Griffiths
Desktop #294, Australia, 2013
Interview by Heath Killen
Desktop #294, Australia, 2013
FF ThreeSix
by Catherine Griffiths
Typographica, Mar 2013
A note on the D-card
by Catherine Griffiths
Apr 2013
She’s Got Legs
by Lee Suckling
Urbis, NZ, Jan 2013
Truly, No Idea
by Catherine Griffiths
for Flash Forward, Desktop, Australia, Nov 2012
Look for the purple lining
by Catherine Griffiths
Eye Blog, UK, Mar 2012
Q&A TBI
The Big Idea, NZ, Jun 2011
Shots in the air
by Catherine Griffiths
Eye Blog, UK, Jan 2011
John & Eye
by Catherine Griffiths
ProDesign 110, NZ, Jan 2011
Quite a Blast
by Catherine Griffiths
ProDesign, NZ, Jan 2011
Inner-City Modality
by Mercedes Vicente
ProDesign, NZ, Aug 2010
Beautiful World of Typography
by Catherine Griffiths
excerpt from a talk, Govett-Brewster Gallery, NZ, Jun 2009
For the record
by Catherine Griffiths
Introduction to TypeSHED11, NZ, Feb 2009
Locating Our Feet
by Catherine Griffiths
Threaded, NZ, Oct 2008
Notes
on Feijoa
by Catherine Griffiths
ProDesign, NZ, Apr 2007
Life in Italics
by Helen Walters
Print, New York, Sep-Oct 2006
Writing by
Types
by Justine Clark
Artichoke, Australia, Apr 2003
For the record
by Catherine Griffiths
Introduction to For the record, the programme for TypeSHED11, 2009
related links
Wellington
Writers Walk
TypeSHED11
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