Ransom Note Lettering
Do you remember watching detective shows on television? The suspense as the detective unfolds the ransom note created using individual clippings of letters or words glued onto a piece of paper. No recognizable handwriting here! Ransom note lettering is an aesthetic of 1970’s British Punk culture, influenced by the DaDaists who, for many of us, invented collage with a rebellious attitude, embracing everything NOT the norm.
Ramones Los Angeles fan club mail-out, USA, 1977. Source: Punk: An Aesthetic (Rizzoli)
Combine rub-off type, rubber stamps, stencils, found objects, collage, torn and cut paper and you have…a junk journal! Only kidding…no, I’m not! Who could imagine that the roots of junk journaling are in the Punk graphic design aesthetic and Dadaist art? I love all the magical connections!
Ransom note cut out letters are the BEST, in my opinion. It is a very meditative practice to sit with a pile of magazines, cutting out words and letters, sorting the letters into muffin tins, and stashing them away in tiny tins or see-through containers.
On my worktable.
I’ve been using ransom note alphabets in my artwork since the 90’s. One of my favorite collage artists who uses ransom note letters is Lance Letscher.
Butter Study, 2016
collage
9.00 x 11.00 in.
Letscher’s approach to his collages is an attention to the details, not meanings. Consisting of scraps from handwritten recipes, board games, ledgers, diaries or vintage catalogs, and tiny images clipped from a 1960s coloring book, his collages hang in museums, galleries, and collections around the world. If you want to learn more about Lance and his work, watch the video or watch on Amazon Prime.
From my personal library.
Letscher’s children’s picture book for all ages, The Perfect Machine, was handset by the artist using hand-cut ransom not letters. It’s the ultimate contemporary collage storybook!
However, if you just can’t find the time or have the energy to cut and sort your own ransom alphabet letters, there are many options including clip books, downloadable collage sheets, and font programs.
I like to venture into the way-back part of my psyche, sort through my tins of letters, and make ransom notes until the sun rises with the dawn. Join me! Play! Have fun!
Many Magical Blessings!
LCRF
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Suggested reflection to find your own collage aesthetic.
Reflect and write down your answers.
1. What do you like?
2. What do you dislike?
3. Describe your personality.
4. What do you love about yourself?
5. What does your ideal magazine look like?
6. List five unique things about yourself.
7. Do you relate to fairy tales or mythological creatures and characters? Who do you resonate with?
8. List some words / quotes you love.
