I wish our clever young poets would remember my homely definitions of prose and poetry; that is, prose: words in their best order; poetry: the best words in their best order. Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Poetic Elements is a hip hop duo whose focus is making music that is conscious, uplifting, and intelligent, with a hood vibe.
Khaleefa and Curtis of Poetic Elements – Photo © Jason Clifford Champagne
The duo chose their name in an era when they felt that the elements of poetry were lacking in popular music. This led me to binge research the basics of poetry (think of your notes from high school), to its ancient origins in the form of stories and legends, to the history of writing itself.
In my research, I stumbled upon the above quote from Coleridge. It reminded me that great poetry & lyrics make the listener think about and appreciate every word. I wanted the logo to express the essence of writing and storytelling, the structure and elegance of poetry, yet also the complex beauty and raw honesty of hip hop. A visual composition that embodied the idea of “the best words in their best order.”
Example of calligraffiti by © Garbage Beauty
Calligraphy is the art of giving form to letters in an expressive, harmonious and skillful manner. Graffiti is a tool for self-expression, communicating views of dissent and asking difficult questions.
Calligraffiti mixes tradition and precision with modern, unbridled self-expression.
Poetic Elements recently had some distance from the local scene. This rebrand communicates their growth in that time, through a graduation from composition book doodles, to refined and intelligent street art.
Writing a classic poem or rap verse that will stand the test of time is truly a labour of love. Each word, each syllable, even every silence must be calculated and accounted for. I went through a similar journey in drawing the iterations of this logo.
Before beginning to build the logo's shape, I studied the forms of all the letters in the alphabet. I focused on a style that would suit the calligraffiti approach.
When came the time to draw the final shape, I tweaked and finessed every line, shape and empty space, until each component was in perfect harmony with each other.
