Graphics-blog

Degree Show private view

After a lot of hard work from staff and students the Degree Show private view was a great success last Thursday night. The show remains open to the public this week.

25 May - 1 June from 12pm - 6pm, Liverpool School of Art & Design. 

Image courtesy of The Double Negative who have kindly featured some of our exhibiting graduates on their blog.

Graphics tutors 1, 2nd Years didn’t!

So last night saw the long awaited 5-a-side grudge match between the 2nd Years and Graphics tutors.

The 2nd Years scored lots of goals, whilst the tutors scored not quite as many. Staying in touching distance of the 2nd Years thanks largely to fine performance between the sticks by 3rd Year ringer Jimmy “The Cat” Falkingham. However whenever it looked like the tutors might draw level the 2nd Year playmaker Ian Duke would score (as Sketchybeast called it) a “vengeance” goal. But in the last minutes MikeyShona called “last goal wins” and sessional tutor, Sam Wiehl slotted home the stoppage time winner for a memorable victory.

Luckily there’s no photographic evidence of the tutors visibly ageing during the match. This is how the match was “trending” post-match on twitter last night…

graphics_lsad “2nd years scored more but our last goal wins strategy means staff + @jamesfalkingham technically won the 5aside tonight. Bring on 1st years!”

@JSummersMuir  ”@graphics_lsad @jamesfalkingham Shameful.”

@Abes_music “@graphics_lsad @jamesfalkingham Ian you were next on my hit (in the face) list - nah not really. great game”

@jamesfalkingham “@JSummersMuir @graphics_lsad Mike takes motm award for staying on his feet after being smacked full pelt in the face by the ball”

@mickeyshona “Out of retirement for the Graphics Staff footy side. Fell over with my first touch and got hit in the face with the ball. Not the best.”

Curious Stories

Really looking forward to seeing the work of some of our graduates exhibited in the Liverpool School of Art and Design again this week.

Al Murphy (1999), Andrew Wightman (2000), Katie Harvey (2008) and Emily Alston (2004) have all contributed illustrations to the book Curious Stories for Curious Minds for Curious Minds - a charity that works in schools and other setting across the North West to make sure all children have access to quality arts and cultural learning activities.

The concept for the book was devised by creative collective Dorothy in 2010 to help the charity raise awareness of the impact nurturing a child’s natural creativity and curiosity can have on helping them develop ‘life’ skills they can later rely on as adults. 

46 unique and personal tales from famous and inspirational people have been collected together in the book and brought to life with illustrations and drawings from 15 illustrators including Steven Appleby (Loomus, The Guardian), Oliver Jeffers (Lost and Found) and our very own graduates.

On Thursday 12th April a press launch for the book is being held between 6pm – 7.30pm at Liverpool School of Art and Design in the Public Exhibition Space. The event includes an exhibition of artwork from the book.

Curious Stories for Curious Minds Book

David Shrigley’s story illustrated by Al Murphy

Danny Wallace’s story illustrated by Emily Forgot

Benedict Cumberbatch’s story illustrated by Katie Harvey

Beth Tweddle’s story illustrated by Andrew Wightman

Pomme Chan

We were lucky enough to add Pomme Chan to our visiting lecture series this year. Pomme showed some spectacular illustrations and wall paintings including this latest project for Diane von Furstenberg.

An Alphabet of London

Chris Brown, our first year illustration tutor, celebrated the launch of his new book An Alphabet of London last week at a private view and book launch held at Central St Martins.  The book has recently been featured in The Observer New Review and Design Week and is available in all good book stores!

The front cover. The book is fully illustrated in Chris’s signature linocut style.

Chris signing copies at the book launch.

Hellovon and Barnbrook

We’re almost half way through our guest lecture series. Both Hellovon and Barnbrook have given excellent talks. Although they may produce very different looking work there were comparisons to be drawn from their talks.

Both are very protective over their studio’s brand. Hellovon has turned down high profile work because of not wanting his signature style to be associated with clients that he felt were inappropriate. Jonathan Barnbrook takes an ethical stance when it comes to the clients he works with, and has also turned down work for certain big named brands. Whether the motivation is ethical or not, both were concerned about what other potential clients would think if they “sold out”.

It was also interesting to note that both tried to avoid taking inspiration from current graphic design or illustration trends. Hellovon traced the inspiration for his work back to the music videos of Radiohead directed by Jonathan Glazer in the early 1990s. Jonathan Barnbrook’s motivations were often political or historic and more often than not found in his reading.

For another perspective on the talks check out one of our first years blogs…

Roll on Tony Brook this week.

3rd Year London Trip

Not quite as exotic as Berlin, but the 3rd Years still enjoyed their well earned day out in London to celebrate the submission of their final year research projects. The David Shrigley exhibition seemed popular, as were the local hostelries judging by the high spirits and white faces on the return train journey.

The David Shrigley exhibition at The Hayward. It was great to hear so many people laughing in an art gallery. My particular favourite was a stuffed squirrel holding its own head titled ‘Nuts’. Worth the admission price alone.

This sign on Brick Lane always makes me smile. Do they have a problem with people soiling the streets in East London?

The 2nd Year Berlin Trip

It was cold!!!