This is an abridged form of an that essay first appeared as Issue 7 / A Type Tour of Indiranagar of my newsletter I Spy with my Typographic Eye. Read the original, which includes a look at Kannada newspaper nameplates, and subscribe to the newsletter.
Last autumn, I found myself in Bangalore and as I spent a few days in Indiranagar, a neighbourhood I called home just a few years ago, I wondered when I lost the sense of wonder about it that I had when I first moved there in 2014.
If you’re familiar with the locality, the reasons may seem obvious — infrastructure is crumbling, traffic is a nightmare, commercial enterprises have all but encroached on the peace of the residents, and walking the streets feels like putting oneself through mortal danger. But still.
Rediscovering the typographic character of Indiranagar
With a little self-reflection galvanised by my chats with friends, and a rummage through my own notes and photographs from years past, I did what I suppose I do best: see Indiranagar afresh with a typographic eye. I had an arsenal of material collected over almost a decade (2014–22), and it helped me move toward an alternate, more curious perspective. I realise that Indiranagar may feel like an odd choice of location for a type tour. There are historic neighbourhoods in Bangalore, like Chickpete, or older, storied commercial hubs, like MG Road (where, incidentally, I did run a type walk in 2019), or areas with much more distinctive personalities, say Fraser Town. Why noisy and gentrified Indiranagar? I suppose you’ll just have to read to find out.
In the residential lanes
Having spent a lifetime in apartments of different shapes and sizes, I find the rows of bungalows in Indiranagar, especially Defence Colony, a dramatic change of pace. There are giant houses everywhere, each with their own personality, and a house number designed to match. I first began documenting them in 2016, and keep adding to my collection every time I visit.
Hand-painted shop signs
Step away from the gentrified heart of Indiranagar, and you can find pockets of striking hand-painted signs. My go-to spot is Sri Krishna Temple Road (location), in particular the small cluster of shops next to where it intersects with 100 Feet Road. The signs are often hidden behind trees, under roofing sheets, or worse in the middle of a flood of digitally produced ones. But there are some real gems to be found there, like the sign for Breeze Cleaners. It is absolutely outstanding! Another brilliant example is at Indiranagar Chicken Centre, whose sign features casual, shaded capitals.
In May, I facilitated a three-day workshop at the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Bangalore that centred on documenting street lettering.
Pooja Saxena
- This is a list
- and this too.
- so is this
Hand-painted shop signs
- First
- Second
- Third
A small caption for these two images
