Typographic Phobias

We created a book containing a list of phobias expressed through the medium of typography. Encased in white clinical packaging with a central perforation. Upon opening, the packaging becomes obsolete as the phobias contained within it are no longer hidden away.

'STOLEN' Exhibition, Arden and Anstruther Gallery

A photographic response to a brief based around a quote from the late Paul Arden, "Steal, but only the things that speak directly to your soul. Its not where you take things from, it where you take things to. Celebrate thievery". The concept of 'Under the cover of darkness' exploits the competitive nature of suburban front gardens, by manipulating an entire roads plant pots onto one households front garden.

YCN - Fedrigoni

Promotion for Fedrigoni, a specialist paper merchant. We had to encourage potential clients to spend more time in their London Showroom whilst promoting Fedrigoni's Sirio Colour range. We concentrated on the brands' Italian roots and decided to send out paper sample templates for fine Italian shoes, that customers could customise themselves and bring back to the showroom to put on display and see the other examples.

1st Year Self Initiated 'Personal Space'

Visualizing and maintaining an individuals personal space, adaptable to different circumstances. Early investigations looked at the shapes of our personal space in an public space environment.

1st Year 'Oranjegekte'

An orange crazed room filled with Dutch music represents the possibilities of Oranjegekte, that on entering you can instantly embrace orange craziness. Based upon a first hand manifesto, that even if you don’t like the colour you can still enjoy its presence. This project also introduced me to a quality Dutch Pub in Soho just off Shaftesbury Avenue, De Hems.

FACTORY RECORDS

Factory Records was a Manchester based British independent record label, started in 1978 by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus, having great bands like Joy Division, New Order and Happy Mondays under the label. I choose to speak about them because of the great impression they made on music and the record sleeve design industry, most notably record producer Martin Hannett and graphic designer Peter Saville. This creative team gave the label and the bands under it, a real personality and sound.

The main spine of their identity was that all the label's releases (both music and video) were given a catalogue number of the form FAC followed by a number, which featured. This numbering system was also applied to other Factory "productions", including posters (FAC 1 advertised a club night), which Saville was commissioned for. Saville has produced vast amounts of brilliant record sleeve work over the years, but two really stand out for me, Joy Divisions first album 'Unknown Pleasures' and their last album 'Closer'.

The Unknown Pleasures cover is one of my favourite record sleeves of all time, it beautifully captures the nature of Joy Divisions music in a perfectly fitting way. While Saville's album design for Closer, released shortly after Ian Curtis' suicide in May 1980, was controversial in its depiction of Christ's body entombed. But the design pre-dated Curtis' death, it seems almost too much of a coincidence.

Saville later produced the single cover for New Orders 'Blue Monday', which cost so much that Factory Records actually lost money on each copy sold, due to its die-cut sleeve, but who cared. Factory records was free of normal restraints, they were innovators and brave ones at that, although the single sleeve was eventually changed to a similar non die-cut design.

Then we have the Hacienda, home to some brilliant music, which often ran at huge losses due to the craze of ecstasy. But nevermind, it gave us The Stone Roses and Happy Mondays, and of course BEZ!!

So all in all, god bless Factory Records, Tony Wilson and Ian Curtis.

See Video,

Joy Division 'She's Lost Control'

'IYAF' International Youth Arts Festival

A live brief for the International Youth Arts Festival, rebranding their identity covering various mediums. All printed materials and publicity seen has been created by us.

The concept for the identity was to reflect the colourful nature of the event and bring it into peoples focus, incorporating a colour scheme concept to signify the different areas of Kingston where the event will be situated.

REBAR "BUSHWAFFLE"

'BUSHWAFFLE'

While in San Francisco I visited a studio named Rebar, quite renowned for their art activism. One project that really charmed me was the Bushwaffle, what a great project to improve public spaces across the globe. The Bushwaffles are playful personal inflatables that transform the urban surface from hard to soft, impersonal to intimate. The Bushwaffle invites new forms of social interaction, collaboration, improvisation and play. They are basically a public amenity designed to supplement the urban hardscape with a soft, inviting alternative for seating, structure, socializing – and pleasure.

3D NATURE

A sculptural piece exploring the positives of weather phenomenon's often regarded as negative. Fog is a thing of beauty, visually calming and poetic. the three-dimensional form represents the positive depths of fog and its witty relevance to society. This project really did involve wearing some rather hideous and obnoxious clothing, thanks to a couple fashion students, especially for the multi-coloured trousers.

TYPE BRIEF: THE AESTHETIC OF WASTE

Typographic brief challenged us to create a new aesthetic of waste. The concept traces the true origins of waste in our society back to its root cause, the basic human instinct of survival and procreation. The passing on of ones genes through the 23 chromosomes seen is instinctive behaviour, which is the biggest single cause of consumption and consequently waste. Our new aesthetic has been lifted from the genetic information that is inherent in 'us' and is in itself typographic.

THE COOL HUNTER WEBSITE

The Power of Color

A nice website I found covering various areas, good to just have a wander through the images. Wish I saw/knew of this website during my self initiated 2 project, the link seen would have provided lots of inspiration and ideas.

'TILT - SHIFT'

THE SANDPIT

The Sandpit film showcases a day in New York City shot with the tilt-shift trick. I came across this video via a landscape architect friend who began to show me tilt-shift images. At first I was really taken back by this beautiful piece, viewing the hustle and bustle of city life through different eyes.

SAN FRANCISCO

Four images taken from a University trip to San Fran that are to be put forward for an exhibition taking place at the Horse Hospital, London. I miss that place!