The word "hypermodern" feels scary; it implies something foreign, even alien. The word "modern" carries so many meanings. Right now, nobody can predict what the future looks like because we are all in the process of creating it.
So it is interesting to see how manipulating the font parameters, such as the em width, changes how we view certain fonts as more "modern" than others. I suppose that emphasizes the connotations that fonts now inherently carry for us. I think it's interesting to then ask, "Is it possible for a font carry no connotations at all?" This challenge proposes something new. But like in all art, it's difficult for the viewer to carry no visual baggage when they view a work, even if it is for the very first time. If an artist were to achieve something like this "new" font, he or she would have the power to manipulate that meaning.
However, I don't know if we can do that. With more internet use, more computers, fonts are inescapable and they operate constantly and everyday in our world. So how can we possibly look at one and think nothing at all? I'm excited to think about this question as we begin working on our typeface projects.
I think this is also where Auerbach's word, "persevere" also comes in! These changes to the "hypermodern" come slowly and creep up on us. An artist's process is always better understood with time.