Design Week
Anna Richardson Editorial
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Costume jewels
9 September 2010
Costume design is about creating a fantasy, a new reality, be it on the pages of Italian Vogue, in a David Lynch film or walking through Kilburn dressed as a Punk - this is how costume designer Kate Forbes describes her craft.
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Odd one out
9 September 2010
Making an impact in print doesn’t have to mean high cost - the simplest of concepts mixed with a dash of creative lateral thinking can outshine expensive conventional effects. Anna Richardson looks at recent examples
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Independent touch
2 September 2010
As big, high street brands and smaller retailers alike are embracing more unconventional store design, cultivating that ’one-off’, local look for their latest outlets, Anna Richardson takes the measure of the creative vision of a range of innovative shops
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Oak challenge
2 September 2010
Faced with a 15cm long branch from a dead oak tree, not everyone has the imagination or skills to turn it into a piece of art or a functional design masterpiece.
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Profile: Judith Schalansky
2 September 2010
Designing her own books has allowed Judith Schalansky to explore theories about matching form and content, and build on a childhood fascination with atlases. The German-born author and graphics specialist talks to Anna Richardson
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In cahoots with Unkle
26 August 2010
If you were wondering what calibre of creatives the producer, DJ and Unkle founder James Lavelle rubs shoulders with during a typical three years of his life, then the exhibition Daydreaming with… James Lavelle at the Haunch of Venison gallery will give you a clue.
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'Zine scene
26 August 2010
Fanzines’ anti-corporate stance and lo-fi aesthetic have long made them a favourite with both graphic designers and readers. Anna Richardson examines the history and culture of a wilfully disreputable medium
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Cyber dynamics
19 August 2010
Next month in London sees the second annual festival organised by digital arts organisation Alpha-ville, on the theme of cities of the future. Anna Richardson takes a sneak preview of some of the work that will be on show
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This is red hot
19 August 2010
Sometimes it is good to get back to basics - and for illustrators, the primary colours of red, yellow and blue are the most basic tools in the box.For a new rolling exhibition at St George’s in Bristol, studio Jamaica Street Artists challenged its illustrators to respond to the colour triptych - starting in September with red.
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Two in one
Wed, 11 Aug 2010
Here is the latest collaboration between design consultancy Browns and Paul Davis, drawings editor of independent quarterly The Drawbridge. Launched by Browns Editions next week, What Happens Is Good & The Twinkling of an Eye is a limited edition newspaper, made up of two publications within one - Davis’ drawings are printed onto a full Berliner format, with a half Berliner insert featuring photography.
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Profile: Silvia Filippini Fantoni
12 August 2010
With her strong background in history and personalisation technologies, this versatile Italian was destined for a career in museum interpretation, but has just moved across to a consultancy management role. Anna Richardson talks to her
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The art of noise
12 August 2010
Popular music and visual imagery go hand in hand. Whether mainstream or counter-culture, artists have celebrated their wares via album covers, posters and flyers throughout history.
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Ringside seats
Tue, 10 Aug 2010
If you fancy a ringside seat at some design fisticuffs, you should watch yesterday’s Newsnight. In the blue corner, David McCandless, journalist, graphic designer and author of blog and book Information is Beautiful, defended his assertion that presenting information in a beautiful way can bring clarity and focus - quality graphics can increase the likelihood ...
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Handheld universe
5 August 2010
Mapping and GPS technology for mobile devices are rapidly coming of age, offering the scope to provide plenty of fun and information along with directions from A to B. Anna Richardson investigates this emerging scene - and wonders a little what will happen to our traditional map-reading skills
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Tracing the grain
5 August 2010
An exhibition of John Makepeace’s work is as much about the achievements and genius of ’the father of British furniture design’, as it is a celebration of wood in all its glory. Inspired by Danish designers in the 1960s, Makepeace built his own workshop and soon earned acclaim for retail products and in competitions. In the 1970s he was a founder trustee of the Crafts Council and set up Parnham College, which integrated the teaching of fine craftsmanship in wood with design and entrepreneurship.
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Profile: Campaign
29 July 2010
Launching a retail design consultancy in the current climate is risky, but recession, digital innovation and the environment are sparking its creativity. Anna Richardson talks to founder Philip Handford about new concepts and being cutting-edge
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Art project
29 July 2010
The Wapping Project’s Bankside gallery, which focuses exclusively on photography, film and video, will celebrate its first birthday this October, and its first ten months have been a success. Founder Jules Wright, director and curator of The Wapping Project, puts this down to the limited number of exclusively photographic/film/video galleries in London and also to the reputation of the original Wapping Project in east London.
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Screen literate
29 July 2010
When a leading ISP publishes its own style guide it’s a signal that if you want to achieve maximum impact online, copy is as important as design. Anna Richardson talks to digital specialists who appreciate the power of the written word
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Waste not, want it
Tue, 27 Jul 2010
If your idea of recycling or ‘upcycling’ is throwing a carton of milk into a green bin or making a pen holder out of a toilet roll and sticky-backed plastic, then Bloomberg can give you something to think about.
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Glass encounters
22 July 2010
Everyday encounters with glass - a no-nonsense tumbler, a minimalist vase or a throwaway bauble, say - are unlikely to prepare visitors for the range of work on display at this summer’s British Glass Biennale.
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Just for you
22 July 2010
Print-on-demand is a synthesis of old and new media, offering brands the last word in individualisation and start-ups the ultimate in low-cost opportunities. Anna Richardson talks to designers working in the vanguard of this bespoke publishing revolution
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Art rebels
15 July 2010
Skulls, Mohawks and piercings - alongside an irreverent finger aimed at authority - are some of the images associated with the Punk movement.
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Flavour of the week
Mon, 12 Jul 2010
Imagine entering a mystical pyramid, only to be surrounded by a dense mist of vaporised fruit. Venturing further, you wander through an intricate fruity maze, ingesting some of your five-a-day portions of vitamins as you go, and eventually pop out at the top of the three-storey structure to hurtle yourself down a giant slide.
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Profile: Serie Architects
8 July 2010
A theoretical approach based on the cumulative intelligence of structures underpins the award-winning output of this multinational architectural studio. Anna Richardson talks to one of its co-founders about ceilings and the notion of grids
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Intangible fantasy
8 July 2010
With the latest crop of graphics students bursting on to the design scene, it’s a good time to consider some of the grand masters, too. The Royal College of Art is doing just that by staging the first major retrospective in Britain of the work of the late Roman Cieslewicz.
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Lights, action...
8 July 2010
Dramatic lighting can add a touch of theatricality to any museum or gallery project, but designers must be wary of showcasing the technology at the expense of the exhibits. Anna Richardson finds some installations that not only strike the right balance, but also address sustainability
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Profile: Kenn Munk
1 July 2010
Taking play seriously sums up the philosophy of this Londonbased Dane, who combines a witty facility for the experiential with a talent for teaching design. Anna Richardson talks to him about creativity, consistency and seeing the world differently
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Civic strategy
1 July 2010
Where next for public-sector design, in the dawning age of cuts and austerity? In fact, design is now more crucial than ever to help deliver user-friendly and efficient services for less. Anna Richardson explores the sector’s legacy and why design should continue to play an important role in it
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Urban contours
1 July 2010
Sprawling cities, with their clutter of obsolete objects and mishmash of buildings, are not always considered things of beauty. Impressive in their vibrancy they might be, but urbanism and consumerism go hand in hand to paint them in a rather more beast-like manner.
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Between the lines
24 June 2010
The tried and tested formula of slapping a movie poster on the cover was not an option when publisher Vintage decided to celebrate books that have achieved box office success in film adaptation. Anna Richardson talks to the publisher’s creative team about the design story behind their innovative concept
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Culture hubs
24 June 2010
When it comes to museum retail it’s never enough to simply replicate the high street. The shop represents a cultural institution, so the environment and merchandise should have soul. As Anna Richardson discovers, when it’s done well it greatly enriches a day out
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Down the rabbit hole
Fri, 18 Jun 2010
Walk past fashion store Banana Republic’s window on London’s Regent Street and you might find it not much to look at. But adjust your angle slightly, and your gaze will tumble down a visual rabbit hole to a reflection of the busy street behind you.
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Moving the goalposts
Wed, 16 Jun 2010
For those wanting to escape the primary-colour visual explosion accompanying the current Fifa World Cup, the pilot issue of The Green ‘soccer journal’ offers welcome respite.
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Profile: Polimekanos
17 June 2010
Using graphics as a way to work in many different fields, this quirkily named studio is building its eclectic portfolio through an integrated approach and long-standing relationships with clients. Anna Richardson talks to its founders
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London recalling
17 June 2010
’Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,’ so the saying goes, but how do you pay tribute to one of the most iconic album covers of the 1970s? To honour the late illustrator, cartoonist and designer Ray Lowry, 30 artists have produced new artworks interpreting his cover for The Clash’s London Calling.
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On a roll
17 June 2010
There’s much more to Swiss design than mere minimalism, as Anna Richardson discovers - the next generation of designers, many making their mark over here, are experimenting with looser, more varied and more collaborative approaches
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Modest models
10 June 2010
In most architecture exhibitions, the material is over-mediated. Because of many layers of interpretation, such as drawings, models and photographs, audiences can feel detached and distant from the subject, and the building itself is often absent, says Abraham Thomas, the Victoria & Albert Museum’s curator of designs. Not so at the museum’s forthcoming exhibition 1:1 Architects Build Small Spaces. Seven international architects - all building in the UK for the first time - were ...
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Varnished truths
3 June 2010
Excessive foiling and other over-the-top print processes have been out of favour recently, reflecting more austere economic times, perhaps. But applied with intelligence and consideration - and in moderation - such finishes can play an effective part in a range of projects, finds Anna Richardson
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Double trouble
Fri, 21 May 2010
With the unveiling of a new Olympics 2012 design element invariably comes a wave of instant feedback - armchair critics casting snap judgements on effectiveness and aesthetics.
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Capital challenge
20 May 2010
Illustration and graphic art is going ’a bit free range’, according to Bill Tuckey, who is launching a new series of graphic art exhibitions. ’A number of things have conspired to let them off the leash and the work has become very interesting.’
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Sheet attitude
13 May 2010
Some say big posters represent a dying medium, but their directness and simplicity have long made them a fixture in the world of music and cultural festivals. Anna Richardson looks at some graphic approaches to the big scale dotted around cities throughout the UK this summer
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Tune into design
Fri, 7 May 2010
After the cringe-fest that was BBC Two’s Design for Life with Philippe Starck last year, it was a relief to find out that the same channel has finally decided to schedule the much-delayed The Genius of Design.The Designed World
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Dream teams
Professional Development Supplement
Creativity, commercial nous, tenacity, personality, a sense of humour… companies aren’t easy to satisfy when it comes to what they want from the groups they appoint. Anna Richardson has the clients’ perspective on whether designers have the right strings to their bow
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Take it further
Professional Development Supplement
Attending informal events, talks and seminars is a great way of developing professionally - and there are also plenty of stimulating initiatives online. Anna Richardson offers a guide to real and virtual happenings that could expand your mind and skills
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Logomotion
6 May 2010
Clients increasingly have to consider the impact of their brand properties across a range of media platforms, so it makes economic sense to invest in animation at the early stages of any identity project. Anna Richardson talks to leading practitioners about the benefits of keeping things moving
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Studio Skype
6 May 2010
Imagine a Chinese whispers design brief, relayed from studio to studio, pinging back and forth between London and Berlin by way of Skype.
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Political rally
Thu, 29 Apr 2010
A familiar cry for innovation echoed around the Institute of Directors convention at the Royal Albert Hall yesterday, in what was an event heavily laced with politics and speakers vying for the top spot in inspirational eloquence.
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Pixel power
29 April 2010
Digital printing is rapidly coming of age, offering great flexibility and detail - as well as colour reproduction that is vivid enough even for fine art books. Anna Richardson talks to designer-makers who are using these processes to maximum effect
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Comic custodians
29 April 2010
Self-published books, magazines and fanzines have to put up with a measure of derogation. Whether A5 and photocopied or informally stapled together, they are often seen as throw-away items, barely worth the paper they’re printed on. But illustrator Craig John Barr and designer Matthew Walkerdine (both also self-publishing artists) have other ideas.
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Seamless flow
22 April 2010
Wayfinding is becoming an ever more central part of new infrastructure, and it is at its most crucial in the realm of transport. So how do you design signs that are so intuitive that they’re easy to take in under pressure, while also looking good? Anna Richardson navigates recent schemes
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Route masters
22 April 2010
Designers like a bit of map. City transport maps, especially, are the ultimate in graphic communication, presenting information used every day by legions of travellers. Transport maps become so familiar to a city’s commuters that proposed changes are often rebelled against. In 2007, Madrid’s residents were outraged when their city was ’redrawn’ in a new, simplified version of their metro map, while last year, Transport for London had to bow to the public outcry that followed its decision ...
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Milking it
Thu, 8 Apr 2010
There is something satisfyingly simple and functional about the new interior of design shop Lik Neon in London’s East End - as shown off in these new images. Designed by Gitta Gschwendtner, Lik Neon sells a selection of products, including T-shirts, interior objects, magazines and other publications.
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Profile: John Smth
08 April 2010
Italian designer Matteo Oliverio pursued his passion for play at college in Rome, and now develops toys under studio name John Smth. Anna Richardson talks to him about his sunny disposition, his refusal to grow up and a new collaboration
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A crucial hub
08 April 2010
The ideal business software system should hit that elusive spot between ’powerful and complex’ and ’nice and simple’ - and also help in developing new business. Anna Richardson speaks to a range of design groups about selecting the right software packages for their needs
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Graphic infusion
08 April 2010
If you’re still sitting on the fence in the can-design-be-art debate, you might want to jump off and visit the Embankment Galleries of London’s Somerset House later this month.
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The right fibre
01 April 2010
To make an impact in a world dominated by online media, paper has to trade on its special properties. Anna Richardson considers the latest trends in terms of tactility, colour and texture, as well as the increasing popularity of bespoke stock for global brands
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Sketch it big
01 April 2010
The work of the commercial artist or illustrator is destined to only ever be seen in its final, complete and signed-off state. ’It exists within a context divorced from us artists,’ says illustrator Holly Wales. ’The work is no longer viewed on its own visual merits, but in relation to a product or story. I wanted to look more at the process before final artwork becomes attached to any external context.’
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Name check
Fri, 26 Mar 2010
Oh, the joy of simple graphic representations. When they involve an effortless play on words, quirky typography and a dollop of humour, they are pure pleasure.
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The great and good
25 March 2010
Another year, another Milan - news of collaborations, installations and product launches at Salone del Mobile is rolling in thick and fast.
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Open market
25 March 2010
In the quest for the perfect image, designers may spend hours trawling picture libraries and the Web, but often the design process is what makes imagery so successful. Anna Richardson looks at the creative use of stock images and photography ’found’ on the Internet
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Swathes of wood
18 March 2010
Martin Grierson’s passion for UK furniture designer-makers is infectious. Granted, he’s a celebrated designer-maker himself, so a love of his craft should be a given, but shining a light on all the 200 workshops he knows of in the UK is one of his main drivers. Last year, Grierson and John Makepeace launched an annual exhibition to raise awareness of the talent among furniture makers.
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Women to Watch
Thu, 11 Mar 2010
Congratulations to Sophie Thomas, co-founder of sustainable design consultancy Thomas Matthews, and Siobhán Bales, managing director of Bgroup. They are both ‘Women to Watch’, as chosen by the Cultural Leadership Programme for the first time this year and announced last night. The list features 50 female leaders from across the UK and encompasses the fields of design, music, dance, digital media, theatre, literature, museums ...
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The Sanderson look
11 March 2010
Flicking through Sanderson: The Essence of English Decoration is like whizzing through a potted history of English decorative arts. Marking the wallpaper and textile manufacturer’s 150th anniversary, the book (by Mary Schoeser) delves into the Sanderson archives to present reams of design, from Arts and Crafts and Art Deco to 1980s country-house style and the interiors of the Noughties.
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Alpine legacy
04 March 2010
Dramatic mountains, bouncing orphan Heidi, healthy cows and holey cheese are all powerful emblems of Switzerland. But why are these images as popular now as they were 100 years ago? That’s the question curator Cynthia Gavranic asks in the exhibition Paradies Schweiz (Paradise Switzerland), which opens at the Museum of Design in Zürich later this month.
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Everyday East
25 February 2010
In India, every flat surface is considered a potential canvas. If something stays still long enough, someone will paint it, says artist Natasha Kumar. From graffiti, spiritual texts, folk art or underwear ads, it’s the art of the everyday.
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Snap judgement
25 February 2010
Designers often prefer to source visuals from unconventional places, eschewing the mainstream image libraries. Anna Richardson talks to three creatives about some of their favourite finds - from Ebay slides for a penny to historical engravings
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Face the future
Publishing & Design Supplement
Using distinctive fonts is an effective way of enhancing a publication’s identity. As the boundaries between magazines and newspapers blur, designers are making some innovative choices, finds Anna Richardson
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Publishing & Design
Publishing & Design Supplement
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Northern drive
18 February 2010
Electronic, digital and kinetic art and design is having a bit of a moment.
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Profile - Outside Studios
18 February 2010
Outside Studios is rapidly carving out a niche for itself, specialising in the field of interpretation design. Anna Richardson talks to the duo that met creating London Zoo’s Gorilla Kingdom about their winning formula
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Take stock
11 February 2010
Printing on recycled paper alone is no longer the absolute benchmark of a sustainable process, says Anna Richardson, with paper wastage, transportation miles and intelligent use of ink among a host of issues to be considered
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Surreal overtures
11 February 2010
As one of the few art forms allowed in post-World War II Poland, Polish poster design reached its golden age in the mid-1950s through to the early 1970s.
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Everyday experience
04 February 2010
‘Art, love, and everyday life’ - that’s the spirit of Kilimanjaro magazine, according to its founder Olu Michael Odukoya. Kilimanjaro, a broadsheet-format magazine that defies the convention of what an art magazine should be, is Odukoya’s personal labour of love and has earned him the admiration of his publishing peers. Now, he is bringing that spirit to three dimensions - with Kilimanjaro Magazine Edits, at London’s 20 Hoxton Square Projects, Odukoya is staging an exhibition with work ...
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World of shopping
04 February 2010
Designers from different corners of the globe see similar challenges in retail design. Anna Richardson speaks to some of them about the creativity and innovation required to create what the consumer wants
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New World order
28 January 2010
If Piet Mondrian was the star of the De Stijl artistic movement - or the tree that hides the forest, as Tate Modern director Vincente Todolí said in a recent speech - Theo van Doesburg was the one hidden by the forest of an American vision of De Stijl which focused on Mondrian and Neoplasticism. Tate Modern’s forthcoming show Van Doesburg & the International Avant-Garde: Constructing a New World tries to re-evaluate the contribution of van Doesburg ‘as the loudspeaker, mouth-piece ...
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Showcase stars
28 January 2010
Exhibitions attract people from all areas of design, and their demands for collaboration and creativity challenge veterans and emerging talent alike. Anna Richardson discovers some fresh approaches in museum and trade shows
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A broad school
21 January 2010
As one of the most robust design disciplines throughout the downturn, digital is an attractive option for ambitious designers. Anna Richardson talks to senior figures about the mindsets and skills you need in this competitive area
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Licentious letterforms
21 January 2010
Ornament has had to put up with some bad press in the past, especially from Austrian architect Adolf Loos, who proclaimed in the early 20th century that superfluous decoration was essentially immoral. But, as a new book by Steven Heller and Gail Anderson shows, the ornamental has made a triumphant comeback over the past decades.
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A chink of light
Vision 2010 Supplement
With clients, consultancies and recruitment agencies all reporting signs of renewed activity in the sector towards the end of last year, Anna Richardson tests the water to see how strong this recovery might be
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Motion sensors
14 January 2010
Holographic light beings, drawing robots and a giant vertical electronic wave are among the marvels at this year’s Kinetica Art Fair in London. The ‘kinetic art’ umbrella encompasses all kinds of robotic, sound, light and time-based art, but the key is that the artists involved are pushing boundaries across all disciplines, says Dianne Harris, art director and curator of the Kinetica Museum, which launched the annual fair last year.
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Graphic pioneers
07 January 2010
Designers are notorious magpies, constantly collecting inspiration from obscure type samples or graphics of yesteryear. Paul Stiff, Paul Dobraszczyk and Mike Esbester of the Department of Typography & Graphic Communication at the University of Reading have done a lot of foraging lately, for their research project ‘Designing information for everyday life, 1815-1914’. Much of the most inventive designing of everyday printed material was thrown away, but the trio has dug up printed ...
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Just the shape
07 January 2010
Commissioning a custom font can be an effective way of boosting your brand - and it’s often good value for money, too. Anna Richardson takes the measure of bespoke typefaces for clients ranging from Virgin Galactic to a new literary website
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Fantastic play
17 December 2009
As a repetitive process producing multiples, print has long formed an integral element of many artists’ work.
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Picture perfect
10 December 2009
A good illustrator can add a touch of magic to a packaging design and help tell a brand’s story. Anna Richardson samples a range of projects where illustration has been used to full effect
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Profile - Sarah Boris
10 December 2009
Sarah Boris was always keen to work for an arts centre - a dream she realised at the Barbican and, currently, the ICA. Anna Richardson speaks to the French graphic designer about inspiration and the perfect font
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Treasure tomes
10 December 2009
In the increasingly digital world of the book, a beautifully bound publication is something to cherish. With numerous electronic book readers being launched, the pleasure of the book as object is in danger of disappearing. So producing books that are desirable to the touch is more important than ever, argue some publishers. Charity book publisher Oak Tree Fine Press has pulled out all the stops to produce a new Philip Pullman-illustrated book to raise money for children’s HIV/Aids charities. ...
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Community support
03 December 2009
Product development is one way for designers to help communities in the Third World, whether it’s by addressing specific needs or creating employment and income. Anna Richardson talks to designers whose work is having a positive impact
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Open brief
26 November 2009
It’s a transitional time for font design, with the need to make lettering work across a range of media shaping the discipline and opening up new possibilities. Anna Richardson hears how a new generation of type designers views the craft
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Pop-up art
26 November 2009
Paddy Barstow is not one for the constraints of traditional art galleries - he wants to discover and nurture emerging talent from the art world and break down barriers between different media. Barstow is the curator of Art Mosh, a series of exclusive pop-up events that bring artists together with contemporary music and DJs in unconventional venues. The first official event takes place in Paris this week, with one scheduled for the UK in March next year. It features an eclectic roster ...
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Foodie grand tour
19 November 2009
Leafing through old cookery books can throw up a tasty mix of nostalgia and incredulity at the dishes we used to appreciate. Recipes and food photography of yesteryear can look amusingly dated.
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Human touch
19 November 2009
There’s no excuse for drab office environments any more, argues Anna Richardson. Indeed, imaginative interiors which offer a bit of privacy as well as great teamworking space are essential for bringing out that creative spark in staff
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Founding father
12 November 2009
Referring to an artist as ‘the Walt Disney of Japan’ and ‘the God of manga’ conjures high expectations. The late Osamu Tezuka wore the appellations well. An illustrator, writer, animator, trained doctor, designer and entrepreneur, he created two companies, dozens of animated films and series, and more than 150 000 pages of comic art in his lifetime, including Astro Boy and TV series Kimba the White Lion. Despite his obvious success, the extent of Tezuka’s talent is not fully appreciated ...
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Soft surveillance
05 November 2009
‘I want visitors to feel safe and happy - and maybe a bit rebellious,’ says Paulina Latham, head of events at the Polish Cultural Institute and curator of Poland Street Underground 2009: Kontrol. Taking its cues from the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Iron Curtain as well as the 60th anniversary of the publication of George Orwell’s novel 1984, this year the two-day multimedia art exhibition aims to dispel Cold War myths and explore the relationship between surveillance, society ...
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Taboo teasers
29 October 2009
When was the last time you had a great conversation - out of the blue, intriguing and interesting? This is what Jason Schragger, creative director at Shraga, and Mark Carolan, co-founder of Gallery of Wonderful, pondered, realising that ‘we aren’t as good at talking as we used to be’. Their ruminations led to The Book of Conversations, a tome to get conversational juices flowing. Simply bound in linen with white embossed foil and not a word on the cover, it comprises 120 questions, ...
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Taking shape
22 October 2009
Twentieth-century textile designers struggled to attain recognition, due to the influence of the dominant Modernist movements. A new book profiling prolific designer Jacqueline Groag addresses the imbalance. Anna Richardson reports
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Comic timing
22 October 2009
If Farmer Palmer, The Fat Slags and ‘Hello, good evening and bollocks!’ mean nothing to you, the fact that Viz turns 30 this year will leave you cold. But for those who grew up sniggering at the jaw-droppingly rude, yet side-splitting hilarity of the magazine and its cartoon population, the anniversary offers license to snigger once more. An anniversary issue and an exhibition at London’s Cartoon Museum will celebrate the history of Roger Mellie et al next month. Originally produced ...
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Gathering pace
15 October 2009
As new digital technologies allow an ever-greater amount of real materials to be used, rapid manufacturing is no longer a pipe dream. Anna Richardson visits The Bartlett’s new DM centre to explore what is already possible
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All Tomorrow's Posters
08 October 2009
When All Tomorrow’s Parties came along ten years ago, its founder, Barry Hogan, had a vision of setting the festival apart from the likes of Glastonbury and Reading by staying intimate, non-corporate and fan-friendly. Each festival was curated by significant bands or artists, making for an ever-unusual mix of events and musical genres. Even though ATP has become increasingly successful, the principles remain, including Hogan’s particular attention to promotional artwork. ‘Many events ...
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Look lively
01 October 2009
Beryl is a feisty working class mother, all bubbly exuberance and outrageous outspokenness. Equally exuberant is the drawing in which she is rendered by her creator, award-winning British animator Joanna Quinn, where the pen strokes are laid on with brisk fluidity. A new exhibition at the National Media Museum in Bradford charts Quinn’s work, which includes commercials and films, and her inspirations. In animation terms, what’s interesting about Quinn’s work is that it is so clearly ...
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Tracing the line
24th September 2009
Hand-lettering has become increasingly popular in recent years as companies look for ways to move beyond the impersonality and repetition of set fonts. Anna Richardson reports on the rediscovery of calligraphy
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Crossing boundaries
Mon, 21 Sep 2009
A few years ago, illustration was almost a forgotten art, says Pascal Johanssen - a state of affairs he wanted to change when he set up the Illustrative exhibition in Berlin. ‘There was a huge gap in the applied arts and illustration scene, with a well-established art market on the one hand and the design market on the other,’ he says. Now in its fifth year, Illustrative aims to fill that gap, showcasing international illustrators who have an artistic and experimental approach and ‘are ...
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Brit impact
100% Design Supplement
Dealing with clients or reluctant suppliers and securing funding are some of the challenges facing fledgling design groups. Anna Richardson talks to some of the home-grown enterprises on show this year
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Euro chic
100% Design Supplement
Bulgarian, Spanish or Belgian design anyone? Anna Richardson is impressed by qualities such as practicality and Surrealism that some of the less established players on the international scene bring to the show this year
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Magical alchemy
10 September 2009
Storytelling and illustration combine to great effect in the fairy tale, giving the members of an east London printmaking collective the perfect opportunity to showcase their skills in a new exhibition. Anna Richardson uncovers the narrative in their work
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Designing with pandas
Thu, 27 Aug 2009
Sir Peter Scott’s 1960s panda logo for the World Wildlife Foundation has already done its fair share of fundraising duties - but there’s plenty more mileage to be had from some intriguing reincarnations of the black-and-white classic, finds Anna Richardson
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Post-colonial pioneer
27th August 2009
Wasafiri magazine has been blazing a trail for international writing for 25 years. Set up in 1984 at a time when writers from Africa, the Caribbean and South Asia were often perceived as off-centre, the literary magazine has championed early work from the likes of Vikram Seth, Salman Rushdie and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
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Pop fragments
20th August 2009
‘The word is very important to me,’ says artist David Spiller. ‘I did a painting that was just a big “A” once; it was me tipping my hat to Johannes Gutenberg, because without his invention we would never have had books and all those wonderful stories I used to get lost in as a kid.’ A new exhibition at Beaux Arts in London will show some of Spiller’s latest work and the importance of words to it. Fragments of lyrics and other phrases combine with blocks of colour and motifs from popular ...
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Bargain bijou
13th August 2009
A smart hotel concept with a quality touch or two - iconic furniture, perhaps, or a more iconoclastic flea-market approach - can work wonders in the budget arena. Anna Richardson takes the measure of three inventive newcomers
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Angular perspectives
13th August 2009
Geometric intersecting lines, strong colours and hallucinatory compositions - it might appear that artists Dalek (pictured) and Delta have more in common than striking pseudonyms. However, although their work appears to have similarities, it is actually diametrically opposed, says Paul Jones, owner of London’s Elms Lesters Painting Rooms, who is bringing the artists together for the first time in an exhibition later this month. American James ‘Dalek’ Marshall’s background as a street ...
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Graphic feast
06th August 2009
Who doesn’t like a good list, a learned selection of the best of the best? It invariably triggers debate about inclusion and omission, or joy of finding your personal favourite among the chosen. The imagery on the cover of Jason Godfrey’s new Bibliographic: 100 Classic Graphic Design Books speaks of the gems inside, with the spines of some well-thumbed classics beckoning. Split into different sections - typography, sourcebooks, instructional, histories, anthologies and monographs - ...
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Modern hieroglyphics
06th August 2009
The pictogram universe is far from fixed, with modernising influences and different cultural requirements provoking constant evolution. Anna Richardson looks at the ideas behind some recent schemes
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Naming game
30th July 2009
Graphic design and the power of words go hand in hand, but during the 20th century, the use of written language also emerged as a defining development in the visual arts. Early experiments in other disciplines, such as concrete poetry or avant-garde type and design from the likes of El Lissitzky and Kurt Schwitters, opened up the possibility of words to artists, says Aimee Selby, editor of Art and Text, a new book that charts this relationship between word and image. The proliferation ...
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Profile of John Lewis' creative chief Paul Porral
30th July 2009
Developing the design heritage of John Lewis is a dream challenge for its creative chief Paul Porral. Anna Richardson discovers a man with a great appreciation for its pared-down, classless feel
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Muscle act
23rd July 2009
A photograph is a perfectly frozen moment in time - or is it? These days, Photoshop and a tendency to touch up snaps to the nth degree make photographic reality a movable proposition. This makes the new work from Alex & Cocco all the more eye-catching. Photographer Alexander James has been working on a series of images capturing parkour, the high-octane discipline which sees practitioners overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles in gravity-defying motion. There is a glut of images ...
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Profile
23rd July 2009
Ten-year-old consultancy Bulletproof has managed to buck the downturn through hard work, common sense and ambition. Anna Richardson talks to its founder about the benefits of ‘mining’ and strong client relationships
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Finishing touches
16th July 2009
Limited budgets can spur creativity, especially when it comes to selecting paper and processes for print projects. Anna Richardson looks at examples of maximising spend in effective ways
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In the bag
16th July 2009
In the early 1990s, the North American punk and hardcore music scene developed an independent, do-it-yourself approach. This grew from self-booking tours and self-releasing records, to designing and hand-assembling every album cover. According to new book DIY Album Art: Paper Bags & Office Supplies, hand-glueing sleeves, silk-screening manila envelopes and raiding thrift stores for LP jackets to reuse became the norm. Aluminium foil, vintage wallpaper, cereal boxes and tar paper ...
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How Test cricket is countering the aggressive branding of its Twenty20 cousin
Thu, 9 Jul 2009
As the Ashes series begins, Anna Richardson looks at how Test cricket is countering the aggressive branding of the game’s rival format, Twenty20
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Trading places
09th July 2009
Sustainability, reusability and experiential concepts have transformed trade show stands from dull environments into places where you can enjoy spending time.Anna Richardson talks to four designers who have helped clients achieve this objective
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Zigzag vibe
Thu, 2 Jul 2009
The bold use of zigzags, stripes and kaleidoscopic colours is instantly recognisable: they are the key design elements of fashion house Missoni. Created by husband and wife team Rosita and Ottavio, Missoni’s knitwear is inspired by the natural environment as well as fine art. The influence of the Modernist art of the likes of Tancredi, Giacomo Balla and Gino Severini is explored in a new exhibition, Workshop Missoni: Daring to be Different, which also offers a glimpse into the Missoni ...
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Futurecity founder Mark Davy promotes the value of public art
Thu, 2 Jul 2009
Futurecity founder Mark Davy devised a business model that is convincing developers of the value of public art. Anna Richardson talks to the consultant aboutcreativity and cultural currency
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A preview of the Northern Print Biennale
Thu, 25 Jun 2009
It’s looking good for printmaking up in the North. Anna Richardson greets the arrival of an ambitious new international print biennale in Newcastle upon Tyne
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Tender grace of thread
25th June 2009
Textile art has come a long way, and is today a challenging and vibrant sector of the visual arts. The 62 Group, an artist-led initiative, has played an enormous part for more than 40 years in raising the profile of textile art, and a new exhibition at the Hub in Lincolnshire pays tribute to this collective. Coinciding with the bicentenary year of Lord Alfred Tennyson’s birth, Bending the Line: Textile Art by the 62 Group includes nearly 60 new works by more than 40 artists, with some ...
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Lush radicalism
18 June 2009
A reconstructed 6m-high tree, a version of Richard Buckminster Fuller’s utopian geodesic domes and an in-house farm of fruit and vegetables are just some of the surreally assembled works in a new Barbican Art Gallery exhibition in London. Transforming the gallery into an artificial indoor portion of nature, Radical Nature: Art and Architecture for a Changing Planet 1969-2009 remembers the time when perception of nature was changed by a greater awareness of environmental issues, and ...
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Museum standards
Sustainable Design Supplement
The parameters of sustainable practice are shifting rapidly in the world of exhibition design, with many key institutions seeking to make their shows less taxing on the environment. Anna Richardson reports on the latest initiatives
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Figuring it out
11 June 2009
One of the few sectors that is proving immune to the recession is annual reports, but that doesn’t mean clients or consultancies are playing it safe. Anna Richardson talks to four groups about the latest developments
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Match fit
04 June 2009
Sports equipment manufacturers are constantly striving to push the performance envelope, just like the athletes who use their products. Anna Richardson looks at the processes involved, from intensive testing to analysis of user feedback
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Profile: Anthony Burrill
04 June 2009
With high-profile ad clients and a string of exhibitions under his belt, the minimalist approach of Anthony Burrill has many fans. Anna Richardson talks to this very ‘happy conceptualist’, as he searches out new challenges
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Mix and match
28 May 2009
‘Impact’ is the theme at the second instalment of the Jerwood Contemporary Makers annual exhibition, and the designers on showcertainly make an impression, through technological endeavour, collaborative practice or social engagement. The selected seven‘challenge our perceptions and ideas about contemporary ways of making and bring into question the relationship between thecreative processes of designing and making’, says designer and chairman of selectors Rebecca Earley. ...
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A look at two shows that explore colour use
Thu, 21 May 2009
There’s more to bright tints than meets the eye. Anna Richardson takes stock of two shows that explore the subtext and potential of colour usage in design - and learns a bit of colour theory on the way
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Sketch it up
21 May 2009
The value of drawing skills in art and design has diminished over the past few decades. As the status quo was challenged in the 1960s, especially in the arts, having superior drawing skills became less important.
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Prototyping & Modelling
Prototyping & Modelling Supplement
Whether it’s in electronics, packaging, luxury goods or other areas, the prototype or model forms an integral part of the designprocess.
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Rapid visions
Prototyping & Modelling Supplement
Are designers ready to fully exploit the potential of automated digital manufacturing techniques? Anna Richardson talks to those who are embracing the possibilities they offer
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Capital views
14 May 2009
London’s transport authority has a strong tradition of using illustration, from the first commissions of artists and designers early last century and the bold and adventurous posters of the 1920s and 1930s, to the Art on the Underground commissioning campaign in the 1980s and this decade’s bold series of London skylines by Paul Catherall, commissioned by London Transport Museum. One of the museum’s latest initiatives is A View of London, an exhibition curated in partnership with the ...
