Gertrude has been a work in progress by Ivan Velichko since 2014. It is both a deeply personal typeface and the corporate font of Shuka. Gertrude presents an absurdist interpretation of the geometric sans-serifs, particularly Futura. Its core regularity is interspersed with bursts of unbridledness.
The twentieth century's first half celebrated order. The future seemed fantastic and was portrayed as such. The twenty-first century's initial quarter compels acceptance of disorder. The future now seems no more than possible, and that's all we dare to expect.
Geometry and plasticity of the letterforms, in a modernist way, are devoided from decorations and other impractical excesses: only straight lines and neat curves. At this point, Gertrude ceases to converge — crackles, crunches, grinds — that leans, and turns into italic.
Shuka