Retros was designed to unite two distinct lettering styles: the fluid, contrasting strokes of broad-nib brush calligraphy and the sharp, precise lines of chiseled stone carving. Retros merges the strength and precision of a chisel carving into stones with the softness of a brush gliding over paper. Working on Retros, the author experimented with the technique of unconscious writing — creating a graphic sheet in 30 seconds without planning its composition.
The spectacular rhythm of Retros resembles the Ottepel-era (pop-up The period from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s when repression and censorship in the Soviet Union were relaxed) book calligraphy and, at times, cool jazz, Luis Buñuel’s montage techniques, and the stems of wine glasses.
The character proportions were inspired by the calligraphy of East German, Hungarian, and Bulgarian artists of the 1960s, as well as modern English calligraphy. In addition, inscriptions carved on tombstones in Highgate Cemetery, London, influenced the design.
Retros offers a large number of alternates, discretionary ligatures, and two sets of circled figures (white in black circles and black in white circles). Retros supports 288 languages, including Abaza, spoken in Turkey and Karachay-Cherkessia, and Zulu, used by the Nguni people of South Africa.
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Before its release, Retros appeared in projects such as the identity for the Francotypography Festival in St. Petersburg and a book about Marina Monke, a cleaning lady who became an artist. The book about her life is part of the Pompidou Centre’s collection.
Zine about the life of Marina Monke. Designed by Maxim Ilyinov, 2023
Francotypography Festival poster (fragments). Designed by Maxim Ilyinov, 2023
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Retros was designed by Rustam Gabbasov, a graphic designer, a publisher, and a co-founder of Schrift Publishers. He graduated from the Maxim Gorky Literature Institute in Moscow and the Type and Typography course at the British Higher School of Art and Design. Rustam is also a researcher whose work includes numerous studies and articles exploring the history and impact of Vkhutemas typography.
