If We Tolerate This, Then Your Children Will Be Next

 

Homage's are dangerous, homages happen because you love something so much you are willing to open up and rip it off. I love stonewall's campaign from what it actually quite a long time a go, "Some people are gay, Get over it" was short snappy straight to the point. The colours were striking, I have tried to match the typeface here but it hasn't really worked. 

I made these to target the people who assume that Muslim's are terrorists. It's not the Muslim's that are terrorists, no where in their religous texts I am sure it does not condone violence, killing and murder. Terrorists are the terrorists. People can say they are terrorists in the name of a religion but no religion kills in the name of God.

Two Turntables and a Microphone

Classic Hip Hop is something that I have been getting into a lot lately. Namely a Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul and Public Enemy. All of which where made using the recipe above; two turntables and a microphone, is a line in a Mantronix song which was indeed sampled by the man and the oddity, Beck on his track "Where it's at". I love them bands as well as Beck and I love the idea of sampling and editing from the glorious vinyl.

It's Trippy

Looking through my laptop I discovered a photo of me that was taken for a film poster last year as part of my friends university project. I was very reminiscent of the pose struck by an actor on a Paula Scher Poster. So decided to add colours and make an interesting composition much like the poster that I've referenced. Not using type but using more of me. This is the only piece that uses so many multiple images of me that I can think of in recent times.

8oh8 and 3oh3

 House music would never be the same gain without these beautiful machines but I beat you have never seen them like this before. Do the colours give you are clue? probs not. Anyway, these two pieces are the diagrams of the TB303 and TR808; the two machines that made house music what it was in the early days of the genre. Acid lines from the 303 and the distinctive percussion of the 808. This is my tribute to them. Its not bright, its not flashy and its not on pills like the scene. it is a quiet tribute and I hope that your found the promised land in these.

The Photocopier is my Screen

 The Photocopier is my screen. Andy is my hero so I combined the too. Having been crowned king of the photocopier by illustration station cos I am always photocopying things. I decided to experiment more with the potential of the copier. Using the one colour filter I made the above. it simply screens a colour cast over the image. The image of Andy was from the i Paper as it was a review of his exhibition in Liverpool, which I must must must go to.

Now Andy's probably most famous piece is Marilyn and these are Andy as the Marilyn's , at least my interpretation. Using a photopied image and a marker pen set. One is the colour version, when he was in the star light and the other, the black and white as his starlight starts to dwindle as well as his mortality, having died twice.

State of the Nation: Part 2

 

My last post on this subject got a great amount of coverage and success and I liked the idea very much. Having never read 1984 by George Orwell, I love the idea of the dystopian future ruled by the goverment, the thought of seeing these propoganda around us in the vintage 30's style would be amazing. However, in that situation I would be incapable of free thought and I would not be able to enjoy them as musch as I do know. The idea of these REALLY existing is laughable.Hope you like them. I do also enjoy controversial design hence some of the language I have used here is of that ilk. 

Elvis is King

The other Elvis. Not Presley. Costello. The man who wrote one of the best Debut albums of all time with lyrics that will ring true with every generation of love, lust and "Dancing". In this image I have tried to capture the the essence of said album. The colours are the same as the album, the checkerboard design is one that is from the border of said album and the image is of a similar stance to the album.

Juxtapositioned

 Yellow and black are two f my favourite colours to use. They are the colours used on one of my favourite pieces of design done by the one and only design legend, Peter Saville. Opposites are also fun things, but its how you visualize them is the challenge. A simple font choice, some light tracking adjustments and Italics.

A Very British Type

 Mike Skinner once wrote "Go to Heaven For the Weather, Go To hell For the Company" by which logic he wasn't referring to the UK as heaven because traditionally in the main our weather is grim. What makes it worse is we are always complaining about it. Even if its sunny we say that its too hot. Maybe we are just picky. Anyway, to celebrate all things that's wrong with the weather I made these. I think they are pretty. I hope you do. I have always wanted to try out using negative space so I think that these encapsulate my experimental ideals. 

I AM NOT A GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Jack is Back

I have always been a fan of Jack White, whether it be in The White Stripes or The Dead Weather or any of his other projects. But in his solo stuff he out does himself. He is not trapped by the constraints of any members because he'll just form a band to fit around what he does. The new record is faultless;bittersweet ballads, blues freakouts and some amazing song writing. His first record is also amazing but it is only know that I have realized. So as a strange and unusual ode to the amazing man I made him a poster to celebrate one of my favourite songs. I think I am obsessed with typography posters (oops). The colours are from Jack White's Label "Third Man Records" and the lyrics are from "Love Interruption". Hope it is to your satisfaction and if you click the poster; I have put a link to the song. 

Speaking With Typography

 

 The Talking Heads are a great band. A fusion of Punk, World and funk music doesn't happen everyday. there movie Stop Making Sense is a flawless masterpiece showing the band the the peak of their creativity and musical diversity. All of them were art students and they all took calls from the arts for the music as well as the packaging. Bearing this in mind I made these posters influenced by 4 very different art styles as well as different designs that they have made.

A Present of Typography

The Wedding Present are just one of those great British bands whose refuse to quit. They have been active for many years and they still have the capacity to fill a decent size venue. They are independent of any of the big record companies which is evidence that you don't need them to survive. For all of these reasons they have had a big impact on me (that and they played a flawless gig in front of my very eyes).

To return the favour, I made these typography posters to demonstrate some of David Gedge's best lyrics. Each Poster features Lyrics from the best song on the album (in my opinion) and in one form or another a version of the album sleeve. These were self initiated designs but have sent them to the band but no feedback has been given.

Highlights; Trying Something New

 Trying something new is always a good way to develop as a designer but doing so isn't always that easy. In uni, an entire unit was dedicated to doing exactly that. We were given two different designers or artists and we had to do pieces in the style of said person. Above you can see my work inspired by the great design guru; Chip Kidd, who is probably most well know for his logo for Jurassic Park. His main selection of work is in the design of high quality book jacket design. All of the above are mocked up potential book covers in the vain of what he would design.

Below, are selection of four different paintings/drawings that I did during the other part of this unit. I have not done any painting in many many years as secondary school kicked it out of me because they taught me nothing. These didn't turn out half as bad as I thought considering this fact. These pieces are in the style of Joan Eardley, a Scottish born artists who's main focus was landscapes and images of the poor youth.