Abstract

Mercurial is a groundbreaking visual journey through typography that charts the fluid and often volatile passage, from the depths of sadness, eventually finding the light in the end, inspired by the song title Louder than Bombs by BTS, a Korean boyband. Over a carefully observed period, this book captures the subtle and dramatic transformations of emotion through a unique lens. "Mercurial" represents a unique and multi-layered approach to understanding and visualizing emotions. Initially, the exploration of shapes as a representational tool proved inadequate for capturing this complexity. This led to a pivotal shift towards typography, where the inherent qualities of letterforms and their arrangements offered a more insightful avenue for visualizing distinct emotional states. The idea of a book then emerged as the ideal format to showcase the dynamic nature of emotions. Using typography - the very forms and structures of letters and words could offer an effective lens to visualize emotions - the weight of a typeface, the style, the size, the spacing – all these elements can evoke distinct feelings. Thus, a book, a form of representation, emerged in a natural and compelling way to showcase the transition. Incorporated the tangible world by photographing daily objects like writing paper, strings, and shopping bag handles. These seemingly mundane items were chosen for their potential to evoke subtle emotional resonances.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Graphic design (Typography)--Interactive multimedia--Design; Type and type-founding--Interactive multimedia--Design; Emotions in art; Installations (Art); Artists' books--Design

Publication Date

12-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Student Type

Graduate

Degree Name

Visual Communication Design (MFA)

College

College of Art and Design

Advisor

Mike Strobert

Advisor/Committee Member

Daniel DeLuna

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

Plan Codes

VISCOM-MFA

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