Ryan Lastname
RYAN LASTNAME is the working moniker of one, Ryan MacDonald.
I grew up around artists and craftspeople; tagging along to every art market and show my father, a sculptor, would set up at. My saturation of the arts led me to Sheridan College where I dabbled in a variety of programs before working professionally as a freelance illustrator and fine artist. I’ve exhibited publicly across continents, built my own displays, worked extensively in printing, and then found myself in non-profit building teams of creatives and managing a multi-campus, multi-city brand.
Now a full-time freelancer, I look to primarily work with non-profits, charities, organizations that champion social good, and small business'. Twitter would say I'd fall under the category of "Generalist" but my doctor says it's "ADHD."
My favourite colour is green and my favourite font is Wingdings.
When a loved one dies a memento often left behind is their written word; notebooks, birthday cards, scribbles on a wall calendar. After the passing of my grandmother ('Granny') in April 2020 I wondered what makes a persons handwriting so distinctly theirs. This innocuous question opening up a wider philosophical and anthropological can of worms than I was prepared for.
Come along on a project that has been equal parts typography, art, and mourning. Compare three generations of handwriting, learn about the education standards of the early 1930's Scottish public school system, and wonder aloud "can handwriting be genetic like hair and eye colour?"
As the years passed to our current day, and that sting of loss dulls, a pressing question emerges: In a post-generative society is this still a homage to a life-lived or just another digital homunculus playing at pretend?
