Friday Photo

Home, Northern Ireland 2009

Olly Moss: paper cuts at Gallery 1988

I first came across the work of Olly Moss on a design blog. The post featured a  collection of modern movie posters re-imagined in a Saul Bass-esque way. They were nice to look at, with some very clever use of illustration, and a nice restricted colour palette but they didn't really take my breath away however his latest project does.

It is a series of 300 18th century inspired silhouette paper cuts but of cultural icons ranging from Teen Wolf to the Simpsons! All the silhouettes were lazer cut and then beautifully framed, hung and are now on display at Gallery 1988 in Melrose. It's too far away for me I'm afraid but I do hope this show travels! here are a few more pics and a short video about the show and if you want to find out more you can find Olly's blog here

Olly Moss Art Show @ Gallery 1988 from Threadless.com on Vimeo.

Monster mail

It's always nice to get something in the post, that's not part of the usual deluge of direct mail, phone bills and bank statements!
That's why those nice people at Arctic Circle are asking if anyone would like a copy of their latest poster/leaflet featuring my paper cut for the Fairy Tales and Monsters festival. If you fancy a copy then just send your name and address to here: http://www.jointhecircle.net/mailing_list.php OR email the penguins directly at ben@jointhecircle.net and a copy will wing it's way to you.

Please note the enchanting Viking models are not included!

Fairytales and Monsters: the final cut.

All my paper cuts have healed up, my scalpel is cooling off in it's case and the Fairy Tales and Monsters art work should start appearing across London from tomorrow. At the moment I'm busy working out designs for tote bags, t-shirts and badges to tie in with the festival as well as suggesting a few activities to keep people busy in the foyer of Kings Place. So stay tuned for more bits as they arrive!

As well as creating the main paper cut illustration I also found myself creating a typeface, which is something I hadn't planned on! After going through all the typefaces I had and a few on line suppliers I started drawing my own. The type face took inspiration from the highly decorative letter types used in storybooks and fairy tales. I wanted it to have something of the decorative drop cap about it, without feeling too cartoony. I also felt that the characters should be linked somehow, as if they had been woven together like the elements of a good story. I know it's not Helvetica on the legibility scales but I'm happy with how it turned out and thanks to all those who gave their opinions along the way ( you know who you are)!

The typeface in development, trying to find a balance between legibility and sensibility.

All in all it looks like it should be a great few days of music, events and fun, well worth catching if you can. For more info pop over to here.
I was also fortunate enough to have the design featured on the Design Week blog which is always nice.

The final logo

Friday Photo

Radishes, French Alps 2006

Idan Friedman: Profiles

This is a beautiful project by Israeli born artist Idan Friedman. Idan has created a series of intricate portraits of people he has met while going about his everyday life, like the cashier at his local supermarket. He hasn't captured them in oils or on film but instead has created relief sculptures of their profiles and embossed them on to disposable aluminum food trays. 

The results call to mind coins, commemorative medallions, plaques and medals, objects that to the mind are associated with celebrating the great and the good but this project celebrates the everyday. A sensitive and well thought out series with a real sense of fragility that to my eyes takes portraiture to a new level and raises questions about what we hold as precious.

If you want to see more of the series Idan has a flickr stream here.

Birch Book: The fox and the tree

Last week I got my hands on a copy of the latest release from Paris based label Les Disques du 7eme Ciel and took a few photographs of the EP.
The release is a 6 track 10" vinyl by Birch Book and is housed in a recycled board gatefold sleeve complete with a version of the EP on CD, a woven patch and two art prints. As always I was given free reign on how the release should look, the only limitations being that it would be one colour printed on a recycled board and that the artist liked it!
I had been trying out a new illustration style for a while and felt that this release was a perfect partner for that style. The illustration style draws on Irish Celtic illustrations as well as Inuit folk art with a touch of psychedelia.

A sketchbook doodle of a bird with something of a fish about him

From the same sketchbook a detail from a drawing of a hare

…and from a few pages later my first go at drawing the fox

I loved the idea of one thing existing with in the space of another, this was partially triggered by the groups name Birch Book. I felt a link between the two words, a tree and an object of paper; the same thing manifesting in two different states. I loved the idea that a tree growing in a forest could already contain the essence of a book and one day metamorphose into that form when the conditions were right.
With this bubbling around in the back of my mind I started to doing the fox drawing. 

I wanted a sense of balance between the animal and vegetable and to include something of the tree within the fox and vice versa. This lead me to here…

and to here.

back cover of 10" vinyl

Front cover of CD version

Back cover of CD version

Side B vinyl label

Fox print detail

Tree ring print detail

Anyway if you want to listen to the tracks or pick up a copy then just pop over to the label's website.

1000 Paper Cranes-Update

Just a quick update about Miho's 1000 paper crane challenge. In case you don't know, Miho has been diligently folding paper cranes in order to raise money for the Tsunami relief effort in Japan and so far she has folded 960 cranes and raised £1,258.00. She plans to fold a crane for every £ raised so if you fancy helping the relief effort and giving Miho a few more paper cuts then just hop over to her sponsor page and donate a few pounds!

Well done Miho, it looks fantastic and it is all for a good cause!

Friday Photo

Staircase, Lyon 2008

Another Summer

I just finished doing a paper cut illustration for Paris based record label Les Disques du 7eme Ciel to grace the cover of their latest release. Each summer the label puts on a series of small, intimate acoustic concerts which take place on a balcony over looking the Sacré-Coeur. To celebrate the last season of concerts, the label has put together a compilation of rare tracks, album outtakes and demos from the artists who performed. The album contains 18 fantastic tracks from the likes of Josh T. Pearson, The Reject Cards and The Daredevil Christopher Wright. I would strongly recommend popping over there and downloading it and as a bonus you can even download a PDF to print out and create your own CD, including a CD onbody design by yours truely!

If your interested then click here and did I mention it was FREE?!

An initial trial on white paper to see how things work.

A slightly elevated view showing the concertina fold

A different colour variation

Sufjan Stevens-L'Olympia 09-05-2011

I had the chance to go and see Sufjan Stevens on Monday night and boy what an experience! If the music wasn't great enough there are the magical animations by NYC artist Deborah Johnson. If you get a chance to go see him (and his amazing band) do not think about it just go!
This isn't a music blog and I'm not a concert reviewer and as Sufjan says himself "words are futile devices" so I'll just post some abstract neon photos, one of the beautiful animations by Deborah Johnston used for Seven Swans and a clip from the concert (watch out for the Casio solo at the end)!

"Seven Swans" live visual content from Deborah Johnson, CandyStations on Vimeo.

Not tonight Josephine… I'm reading!

Just came across this book designed by M/M Paris in tribute to "the greatest film never made" Napoleon. It consists of 9 books within a book and here is a video of it being unboxed.

Friday Photo

Tiernan, Northern Ireland 2006

The Doomed Bird of Providence sleeve pics

Just got my copy of The Dead Bird of Providence album in the post and thought I'd put up a few pics of the final package. If you like it then snap it up quick at the F&F shop as it is limited to 250 copies and judging by the press reviews those will sell out fast!