ABSTRACT
This chapter examines a range of everyday printed matter designed by Kurt Schwitters that used the Systemschrift and other related scripts. It addresses questions of temporality and rationalization in relation to typography and highlights how Schwitters leveraged his commercial commissions to fulfill the avant-garde aim of bringing art into everyday life. The early years of the twentieth century had brought with them an increased interest in both the typography and layout of all types of publications, from text-based books to invitation cards and advertising posters. The aesthetic shifts that were taking place in typography also had an impact beyond the letterforms, seeping into the design of the printed page itself. Schwitters might be best known for his montages, love/hate relationship with the Dadaists, and the one-man, transdisciplinary art movement he founded, Merz, yet the artist worked across many disciplines, including sculpture, painting, poetry, prose, opera, typography, and graphic design.
