Five pies and an onion

Designers including Jonathan Barnbrook, Vaughan Oliver, James Jarvis and Adrian Shaughnessy are coming together to celebrate the life of the late John Young, at a new Liverpool exhibition, Fev Pehs.

Jonathan Barnbrook
Jonathan Barnbrook

The show will display works to be auctioned in aid of Cancer Research in memory of Young, who was a senior lecturer at The Liverpool School of Art & Design

The seemingly strange title is derived from a favourite joke of Young’s. ‘Fev pehs an’ a ingin ane an’ a’’ was something he often used to say, according to the exhibition organisers – a reference to the Dundee (where he studied) way of requesting, ‘Five pies and an onion one an’ all’.

Marion Deuchars
Marion Deuchars

Other designers with work on display will include Ian Anderson and Marion Deuchars, contributors selected because of their personal or professional connections with Young.

Each has created a new piece of work, to be auctioned off for charity.

James Jarvis
James Jarvis

Marie Young, John’s widow, says, ‘John didn’t show many people his work but everyone was always keen to see what he was up to. He taught people about concept and meaning, operating between fine art and graphic design.

‘The pieces in the exhibition will hold a different memory for each of his close friends and each piece has its own story to tell because of this. The exhibition is a mix of finished pieces and work still in progress, as John was very conceptual and forever experimenting.’

Ian Anderson
Ian Anderson

As well as showing the works from the invited designers, the exhibition will also launch Young’s posthumous album, Found in Tokyo. The record was created from a series of found sound audio recordings Young made during his travels around Tokyo. Cameos include the sounds of the subway, the street and Japanese adverts.

Fev Pehs: An Exhibition of Work By & In Memory of John Young runs from 5 – 11 October at Liverpool School of Art & Design, The John Lennon Art & Design Building, 2 Duckinfield St, Liverpool. L3

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