Matamata

We are initially defined by where we are born into. But these definitions are eroded with time and shifting allegiances to differing places, differing people. As a place of birth, Matamata was not a choice, but rather a site imposed on my Mother based on available medical resources. It’s coincidental that Matamata is also the site of the paternal side of my natural family.

Matamata is significant to me only in passing, viewed in a metaphorical rear view mirror. A place I have been and continue to navigate from. A place I occasionally physically and emotionally navigate through. Matamata is a reflection of what (Friedman, 2011) describes as the conflict between the love into which you are born and the love which you choose.

A Maori translation (Moorfield, 2009) of Matamata as the source of a river best captures the personal significance of the place.

The Matamata (typeface) is a reflection of a passing through, skimming a surface. It is only with closer examination that details are revealed.

Formal language

Matamata’s glyph shapes are drawn from my principle engagement with the New Zealand provincial township of Matamata, which is it’s the roading network.

The relative height of the ascenders/descenders is a reflection on the long run of State Highway 27 towards Waharoa. Counters are a reference to the rounded circle shape in the State Highway 27, Firth Street roundabout.

As the place of my birth Matamata holds some emotional significance, but rather it is later periods of my childhood which are referenced in characters such as the ‘$’ with its internal terminals.

Contrast is very low, x-height and gylph height are high, diacritics are playful.

Western, Central and South Eastern European languages are supported.

Bibliography

OpenStreetMap contributors. (n.d.). OpenStreetMap. Retrieved from https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=17/-37.80750/175.77191

Friedman, G. (2011). The Love of One’s Own and the Importance of Place. Stratfor. Retrieved 20 April 2018, from https://worldview.stratfor.com/article/love-ones-own-and-importance-place

Moorfield, J. (2009). Matamata - Māori Dictionary. Maoridictionary.co.nz. Retrieved 20 April 2018, from http://maoridictionary.co.nz/search?idiom=&phrase=&proverb=&loan=&histLoanWords=&keywords=matamata