Can We Know The Sound Of Forgiveness Visual Identity
Can We Know The Sound Of Forgiveness
Information

Can We Know the Sound of Forgiveness (CWKTSoF) is a multi-disciplinary performance piece commissioned for the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University in collaboration with Carnegie Hall, based on the work of visual artist James Drake. The project premiered at the unique space of the Brockman Hall for Opera at Rice University in January 2024, with plans for an international tour. The immersive performance brings together visual art, music, dance, movement, and spoken word. The award-winning team behind CWSKoF includes composer Gabriela Ortiz, author Benjamin Sáenz, and singers from The Crossing in a choral performance conducted by Donald Nally. A crucial aspect of CWKTSoF is community engagement: in each city where the piece is staged, it incorporates young singers and dancers and US Military Veterans in workshops and performances.

Studio Loutsis developed the brand strategy for CWKTSoF and designed its logo, website, print materials, social media, and other assets. Our challenge: to design a visually cohesive identity for a complex and eclectic organization. We wanted to reflect several key concepts, including movement and possibility. Drake’s drawings depict visual movement, which has been translated into physical movement on the stage. The idea of possibility is inherent in the experimental nature of the piece and in both the tension and relief of forgiveness. As consulting producer Terrie Sultan notes, “The very notion of forgiveness is both universal and impossible.”

The clean minimalism of the logo provides a cohesive underpinning for the diverse elements of the performance, hinted at in the mix of serif and sans serif Suisse fonts. The alabaster, black, and white color scheme can be enhanced by occasional pops of color derived from contextual photographs, just as the performance incorporates elements of its environment. The extended caesura between the words “of” and “forgiveness” provides a literal space for possibility and for multiple answers to the title question. For each performance, the space within the logo varies to accommodate that city’s cast and performers, creating a system that is both flexible and consistent.

Year
2023
Sector
Arts
Services
Branding
Content
Digital
Print
Strategy

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Steve Jiménez

DIRECTOR

Steve Jiménez

CURATOR

Leila Hamidi

CONSULTING PRODUCER

Terrie Sultan

CREATIVE DIRECTION

Studio Loutsis

STRATEGY

Studio Loutsis

PRINT

Publicide

PRINT

Bestype

WEB DESIGN

Studio Loutsis

WEB DEVELOPMENT

Studio Jvckson

STUDIO LOUTSIS

Andrew Burgess

Kellie Konapelsky

Taylor Loutsis

Ian Reagan

Ryan Stewart

Typography
Suisse Intl, Semi Bold; Suisse Intl, Mono Regular; SuisseWorks, Book
Website
View
Paper
PRESS
Release
No items found.

Credits

Creative Direction
Taylor Loutsis
Wordmark
Greg Gazdowicz
Strategy
Ian Reagan
Copywriter
Tara Young
Graphic Design
Taylor Loutsis
Angus Plunkett
Andrew Burgess
Ryan Stewart
Web Development
Ben Jackson, Studio Jvckson
Word Production
Shoeb Lakhi
Print Production
Publicide
Typography
Neue Haas Grotesk, Display Pro, 65 Medium
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