I was commissioned to refresh the Revivalist South identity and create a more flexible branding system that centers the interchangeable nature of the creator and the creation. Revivalist South is the alias of Jordan Wright Patterson―the woman is synonymous with the brand, and since the artist's point of view is inseparable from the work, I sought to introduce her as part of the logo & identity. My approach involved focusing on the ways in which the brand should mirror the truth & authenticity present in the founder herself.
Jordan Wright Patterson is an Atlanta-based artist specializing in one-of-a-kind works on paper. Her process is both meditation and brutality: soft, organic shapes are cut and carved into hand-dyed papers, all at once minimal and intricate. I sought to replicate these aspects of her work in the logotype: each character was traced, distressed, scanned, refined, and distressed again to add an element of softness, warmth, and detail to a crisp geometric sans serif. The incorporation of the artist's initials adds a humanness to the brand and acknowledges the interconnectedness of these handmade objects with the hand of the creator.
Photography by Jordan Wright Patterson and Anna Howard.
