The Art of Words: A Talk on Lettering

Nell x Colin McCahon: Through the Wall of Birth and Death is an exhibition full of words as art. Discussing the historical context of the letterforms that are used by both Nell and McCahon, design expert Sarah Maxey will take us on a deep dive of the lettering of selected works in the show, as well as broader discussion of the use of language and lettering in art. Focusing on Nell’s ‘AUSTRALIA’ and ‘I AM WOMAN’ and McCahon’s ‘Walk (Series C)’, Maxey will share three typographically themed stories as response and context for these works.

Sarah Maxey is a leading figure in New Zealand design. She worked for Bloomsbury Publishing in London UK in the mid-90s, establishing the company’s inaugural art department. For the intervening years she has run her own studio specialising in print design for the arts sector and literary publishers. She has received numerous awards for her work, including the 2011 Purple Pin – the highest honour for a design practitioner awarded by the Designers Institute of New Zealand. She has exhibited typographic works and installations in public galleries throughout New Zealand and had her work featured in the The New York Times Sunday magazine. She is Senior Lecturer in Communication Design at Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington.