Oh this materialistic world in which we live; as it operates I become overwhelmed, struggling to take a side. Do I conform and just accept the fact that material possessions are seemingly what defines us, or do I repulse a society that has apparently based self ‘worth’ entirely on what we own? Lanham drives me to make a definitive decision. By looking at the way in which we see text, whether it is a hand-written letter, electronic, or fixed print they each create a specific response in their audience. Through computed, and animated fixtures; e-mail, Twitter, Facebook… the sender and the receiver are separated by the substantial length of the electronic world. There is a disconnect between the author and his/her targeted audience almost immediately. Personality is left out of the conversation and the message is received in a completely different fashion than for example, a hand written letter. A good example of this is seen in Lanham’s monotype poster that hangs in his office. The poster reads “From this place words may fly abroad, Not to perish on the waves of sound, Not to vary with the writer’s hand, But fixed in time having been verified in proof..” Text is simple, it doesn’t require or desire for us to turn it into an unconventional form of entertainment. The reality of the situation is that with the advancement of our technological capabilities, and with the production of more and more redundant gadgets (An iPad is simply a larger iPod with a $500 price tag) will produce a higher aspiration for material gain. The way in which I approach this topic is reminiscent of Lanham, print is there for our own interpretation, even if it is only the most basic of ways. “. You do not see the print but look through it to the heady meaning swirling within.”