JL Pirelli
Jung-Lee Type Foundry · Karel Martens, Jungmyung Lee · 2017
A revival of an anonymous grotesk discovered by Karel Martens, drawn collaboratively with Jungmyung Lee and distinguished by unusually high-waisted capitals that carry echoes of Art Nouveau and Secessionist lettering.
About
The mono-line structure and absence of flourishes give the typeface a concise, upright character typical of early grotesks, but the high crossbars on letters such as E, F and P introduce a period atmosphere that sets it apart from generic revivals. The radical width contrast between uppercase and lowercase adds a contemporary tension to an otherwise historical source. Designed between 2017 and 2018, it is the second collaboration between Martens and Lee following Jungka, available in five weights with matching italics.
Classification
A mono-line grotesk revival with horizontal and vertical stroke dominance and no flourishes, placing it squarely in the grotesque sans-serif tradition, though with Art Nouveau-inflected high-waisted capitals that give it a distinctive historical character.