the blog of richie

morley hill

2012-01-26T10:22:00.001-08:00

Nik Taylor's show at Kælder, 50 Allen Road, Stoke Newington

random spectacular

2012-01-05T14:19:00.001-08:00

I'm a bit slow off the mark posting this as all 750 copies of St Jude's new publication sold out within 48 hours back in December, which is great news. And even better news is that all proceeds go to Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres. There's some great essays by The Gentle Author and Hand & Eye with lovely artwork by Rob Ryan, Angie Lewin and Typoretum amongst others.

The spread that Graham and I contributed (in the lower picture below) shows a tray of miscellaneous letterpress type – aka the randoms drawer – and its printed reflection. Characters spelling out the title are picked out in red metallic powder coating over the black ink.

randomspectacular.co.uk

merry merriness and best wishes for 2012!

2011-12-23T02:41:00.001-08:00

letterpress workshops

2011-12-07T05:03:00.001-08:00

New North Press introductory letterpress workshops will become a monthly event in the new year. Click on the sheet for more info.

sightings [whipsnade zoo's new baby elephant]

2011-12-01T01:47:00.000-08:00

ampersands

2011-11-18T08:09:00.001-08:00

Ampersands from Richard Ardagh on Vimeo.

palendromic moment

2011-11-11T03:16:00.000-08:00

Armistice Day / The Day That Most Resembles Corduroy /
Beginning of Karnevalisten / Nigel Tufnel Day

sightings [drumbos]

2011-11-04T06:15:00.000-07:00

A herd of elephant money boxes is beginning to gather in Clem's fireplace.
(Designed by Luigi Colani for Dresdner Bank in the 1960s.)

cross over

2011-10-27T02:46:00.001-07:00

A brief visit to the new Central St Martins building in King's Cross. I was interested to see the new letterpress workshop and was given a tour of the site by Phil Baines who had a hand in allocating space – letterpress, amazingly, being the only workshop to grow in size – and also designed the wayfinding signage.

Ten acres of flexible studios, workshops and lecture theatres are built around a glazed 'street' with overhead walkways, a colossal art library and enough concrete to fill eight olympic swimming pools (resulting in poor mobile phone reception) – I can only liken the interior of the Grade II listed Granary Building to being in an airport terminal, which may be appropriate given the transport hub on its doorstep. It's a far cry from the beaten-up buildings I was taught in and teach in now* but the fluidity of the space instills a great feeling of potential and the retention of some of the building's features give it some much-needed character.

* The Foundation course, on which I have been teaching one day a week since September, is the only course not to have moved to King's Cross

big draw

2011-10-19T09:13:00.000-07:00

My contribution to Big Draw Stokey, held in Abney Park Cemetery on Sunday

impressions of america

2011-09-28T05:28:00.000-07:00

Studio mate and all-round lovely chap Mark Pavey has just embarked on a letterpress research trip of America, visiting Reverting to Type contributors Hatch Show Print in Nashville and Yee Haw Industries in Knoxville, Tennessee. His journey begins at Hamilton Woodtype Museum (as featured in Typeface, the film of this post) in the rural town of Two Rivers, Wisconsin which was at one time a producer of wood type and cabinets on an enormous scale.

The first installment on Mark's blog covers his initial impressions of Hamilton and promises to give a great account of his type odyssey. I will be checking regularly, slowly turning green with envy.

ét sprog er aldrig nok [one language is never enough]

2011-09-19T13:26:00.000-07:00

This letterpress exhibition, currently running at the Danish Museum of Media, features some work by Graham and I plus a great selection of international presses. There is also a week of experimental print workshops—something we unfortunately never managed to achieve at Reverting to Type—as part of the North European Graphic Symposium (photos and videos here). Thank you Jens for the return invitation.

agent orange

2011-09-16T02:34:00.000-07:00

London Design Guide 2012–2013 edition, featuring a fluorescent orange cover with stitched illustration by Peter Crawley.

partners in print

2011-09-07T03:27:00.000-07:00

Long overdue visits to the letterpress workshops of some of the Reverting to Type contributors:

Mr Smith's workshop, Walworth SE17

Hand & Eye, Aldgate E1

the art of looking sideways

2011-08-17T02:20:00.000-07:00

Hugely excited about the upcoming Alan Fletcher exhibition at Kemistry Gallery, showcasing original material from The Art of Looking Sideways and celebrating 10 years since its publication.

a tied knot

2011-08-17T02:04:00.000-07:00

Congratulations again Mr & Mrs Ardagh

wind beneath my wheels

2011-07-03T12:28:00.000-07:00

Cheers Styley for employing all devices to make this look way better than it was!

hall of clowns

2011-05-24T04:14:00.000-07:00

The Clown Egg Register. Clowns International members copyright their face make-up by painting it on to an egg and adding it to the collection held in the Clown Museum, previously displayed at All Saints Church in Dalston—where the Grimaldi Memorial Service is held—now at Wookey Hole.

sightings [elephant & castles]

2011-05-19T05:34:00.000-07:00

straw and hankies

2011-05-04T01:53:00.000-07:00

Frensham Scarecrow Festival and Mayday morris dancers.

super stoked

2011-04-18T13:07:00.000-07:00

'Hole in the fence' evening session, Clissold Park

ringing a bell?

2011-04-13T06:40:00.000-07:00

The much-requested reprint of Oranges & Lemons is underway. Available May 2011. Preorders are being taken at New North Press online shop now.

sightings [animals on the underground]

2011-03-31T04:29:00.000-07:00

joy

2011-03-08T14:37:00.000-08:00

It's been my pleasure to design the identity for and contribute artwork to Max Fraser's Joy of Living exhibition in aid of Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres.

Over 100 designers were asked to create their response to the title using a sheet of A4 graph paper. The results will be exhibited anonymously with the author only revealed when each sells. Other contributors include Terence Conran, Tom Dixon, Daniel Eatock, Rob Ryan and Timorous Beasties.

Joy of Living • 15th–21st March 2011 • Somerset House, London

iLetterpress?

2011-02-21T12:38:00.000-08:00

'LetterMpress: A Virtual Letterpress on your iPad'

The appeal this proposed app would have for computer-based designers and students with no access to a working press is understandable, but surely it's missing the point entirely?

museum of everything

2011-02-01T03:23:00.000-08:00

Giants, dwarves, bearded ladies, scary dolls, shell sculptures, palm-reading machines, Punch and Judy puppets, the titillating embroidered quilts of Ted Wilcox, sideshow banners of Fred Johnson, Authur Windley's miniature fairground and taxidermy arrangements from Walter Potter's Museum of Curiosity: Exhibition #3 at the Museum of Everything, curated by Sir Peter Blake – it doesn't get much better.

identity parade

2011-01-28T02:55:00.000-08:00

Liz Farrelly asked for some of my self promotional bits to go in her Designers' Identities book.

cold snap

2011-01-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

On an icy evening ride home from setting up the show before Christmas my other crank shaft snapped. Sadly this time it was the chain ring side and although Mr Sargent was able to fit a replacement for me it's missing the BSA insignia – boo!

reverting to type: full stop (almost)

2011-01-21T02:02:00.000-08:00

Today and tomorrow are your last chance to see the show before it comes down on Sunday. (Open 10am-6pm, just off Hoxton Sq).

Big thanks to everyone who's made it, written about it or told someone about it. Cheers!

nobody's fault

2010-12-31T06:02:00.000-08:00

Clem and I had the treat of seeing a good amount of Rob's new work when we visited him in his studio a few months ago. Really looking forward to his upcoming solo show:

Nobody's Fault but Mine by R.M. Phoenix
AND/OR Gallery, 22nd January–3rd Febraury 2011

p&c pop-in

2010-12-14T08:36:00.000-08:00

Neal has brought his online stationary sensation into the real world with his Present & Correct pop-in shop. All the loveliness from the website and more—no-one could be unhappy with a gift from here.

reverting to type: doors open

2010-12-14T03:44:00.000-08:00

Roll up! Roll up! 100 prints on the wall and in browsers, plus books and lots of lovely Christmas cards too.

Thanks to Alistair for these overview photos of the show.

reverting to type: short film

2010-11-29T10:20:00.000-08:00

Reverting to Type from Lima Charlie on Vimeo.

reverting to type: sneak peek 02

2010-11-26T08:33:00.000-08:00

A few of the series of collaborative prints produced especially for the show. Invited guests include author Vikram Seth, book-cover designer David Pearson, typographers Catherine Dixon and Phil Baines, design companies Fraser Muggeridge Studio and OPX, designer Beatrice Bless and artist Stevey Scullion.

more stoked

2010-11-18T04:47:00.000-08:00

Ground is broken in Clissold Park and Stoke Newington skatepark is taking shape! Several meetings and a different contractor since the last design and a vast improvement.

reverting to type: sneak peek 01

2010-11-09T01:20:00.000-08:00

Contributer's work arriving on an almost daily basis—things are getting exciting!

reverting to type: little & large

2010-10-24T12:54:00.000-07:00

Poster and invitation for the show: a tightrope walking double act, packing in all contributors, collaborators and essential information into one orderly box!

Both hand set in wood and metal type and printed in short runs. Invitations - for those lucky enough to receive them - measure 185 x 290mm and posters - on sale at the show - are 530 x 765mm.

A press release with a list of all involved can be found at New North Press.

reverting to type

2010-10-24T12:29:00.001-07:00

Reverting to Type is a letterpress exhibition that Graham and I have curated which will open in December. We've invited 20 presses from around the world to submit work and been busy with some exciting collaborations especially for the show. Stay tuned...

darlin' ukelele

2010-10-24T11:27:00.000-07:00

Custom paint job on Clem's 2nd birthday pressie

session: harrow 25.09.10

2010-09-28T13:09:00.000-07:00

Chopped together footage from a middle age shred session with Justin, Andy, Dan, Mick & Nick.

beware the locals

2010-09-28T04:24:00.000-07:00

'The Established & Sons public house' sign, aptly reworked by Wenlock Arms regulars.

dancing on grimaldi's grave

2010-09-14T05:28:00.000-07:00

The tune of Hot Codlins – the song synonymous with Joseph Grimaldi's fame – may be heard tinkling in a tinny tone across Pentonville once more, thanks to this installation at Grimaldi Park by Henry Krokatis. The coffin-shaped tiles are tuned to the notes of the song and in tribute to Joey's clown, you are invited to sound them by literally dancing on his grave.

Previous Grimaldi posts: clown down & kabuki ~ grimaldi

gastrotypographicalassemblage show

2010-09-07T08:15:00.000-07:00

Very much looking forward to this exhibition. A 'half-scale two-dimensional reproduction of the wall' might be as close as I get, although as mentioned in a previous post, there was talk of a restorative project.

sightings [dollar origami]

2010-09-03T06:29:00.000-07:00

Instructions here

one for sorrow

2010-08-18T07:52:00.001-07:00

A new print edition in the nursery rhyme series dedicated to the superstitious among us who salute lone magpies, muttering Hello Mr Magpie, how's your lady wife today? If that means nothing to you this description may shed some light.

Edition of 150 hand-printed posters with linocut illuminated letters now available from New North Press.

recent commissions

2010-07-28T04:16:00.000-07:00

Wedstock poster/invite for Martin & Chloe

Certificate of birth for Mika from Aunty Lisa & Uncle Rory

hamilton

2010-07-20T05:41:00.000-07:00

Having seen the trailer (below) a while ago, I was thrilled to finally see Typeface last night. The film tells the story of Hamilton Wood Type Museum in a rural town in Wisconsin, USA and it's struggle to survive. Anyone interested in letterpress will be astounded by one-time scale of the operation and the attempts being made to catalogue and preserve it.

Limited edition promotional posters such as Nick Sherman's (top) are available here and DVDs of the film here. Be warned: you might require money for a plane ticket to visit after seeing it.

we deal only in steal

2010-07-16T05:25:00.000-07:00

Riding home yesterday there was a nasty crack and my left crank shaft snapped at the pin. My BSA is older than I am, so I understand these things happen, but for a moment my head dropped as I remembered the terrible service and unprovoked 'old bikes aren't cool, they're just old' lecture I had to endure at my local bike shop on my last visit.

Old girl on the rack

Luckily, a conversation with Rob Sargent at his shop in Finsbury Park popped into my head and this morning I was welcomed in and the part was easily replaced. Sargent & Co is a treasure for anyone who cares about classic bicycles and I was very pleased to give them my custom.

The bicycle was once considered man's greatest invention. It is so perfectly designed that its shape has been little changed since 1890.

Cassius the cat oversees operations, and the tomatoes

clementine house

2010-07-09T05:05:00.001-07:00

Anne and I commissioned TDO (Tom, Doug & Owen) to design and build a contemporary doll's house for Clem. We were absolutely blown away with the result which you can read more about on their website and in Wallpaper* Handmade issue.

wallpaper* handmade for me

2010-07-09T04:50:00.000-07:00

My unique copy of Wallpaper* Handmade arrived today. Contributers received personalised copies with their work on the cover, in my case the Wallpaper* Handmade... in Italy invitation I printed with Graham.

88mph!

2010-07-06T02:37:00.000-07:00

Where are all the hoverboards?!

birthday biscuit

2010-07-02T07:29:00.000-07:00

Tasty treat from Anne from The Cinnamon Tree Bakery

sightings [for party travel]

2010-06-22T03:28:00.000-07:00

London Transport For Party Travel poster by Victor Galbraith, 1958, found amongst others in a disused area of Notting Hill Gate tube station.

moleman RIP

2010-06-19T07:41:00.001-07:00

I first tried to dig a wine cellar, and then the cellar doubled, and so on.

William Lyttle, 79, spent 40 years digging a network of tunnels and caverns under his house on Mortimer Road in Hackney.

More here

kabuki ~ grimaldi

2010-06-08T03:23:00.001-07:00

The match of Kabuki (a form of highly stylized classical Japanese dance-drama) and Sadler's Wells (originally Dick Sadler's 'musick house', built on the site of an ancient medicinal well famed for its health-giving properties) is well-suited as they're nearly as old as each other, both dating from the mid 17th century. Having often passed the theatre, Roy's birthday seemed like a good excuse to visit the local landmark I've had a growing interest in since reading about the life of Joseph Grimaldi, the first clown.

Coincidentally, the lead character (played by Ebizo Ichikawa XI, a direct descendant of the 17th century Ichikawa acting dynasty) was visually not too far removed from Grimaldi's Joey, and the kumadori makeup wouldn't look out of place in the Clown Egg Register. What a shame there is no heir to Grimaldi, keeping the original form of pantomime stagecraft alive.

Joseph Grimaldi's grave at Grimaldi Park, Islington and shrine at All Saints Church in Dalston, Hackney which hosts the annual Grimaldi Memorial Service – as posted previously – on the first Sunday in February.

sightings [salt & sauce]

2010-05-26T02:53:00.000-07:00

Salt and Sauce will be remembered as Britain's most famous elephants. Originally part of George Lockhart's Cruet (which also included Pepper, Mustard and Vinegar), they topped circus and music hall bills in the early years of 19th-century, touring extensively. Billed as 'wonderful', they have been recalled by some them as intelligent and mischievous but to others they were unpredictable and even deadly (Lockhart was killed by Salt in 1905).

Many owners, zoos and circus tours later, they were finally separated in 1952 when Salt died after falling into Vauxhall Lake in Canterbury. Sauce lived for another 8 years and became one of Butlin's Elephants in Skegness Holiday Camp.

For a detailed history, see Jamie Clubb's The Legend of Salt & Sauce

session: mile end 28.04.10

2010-05-25T01:28:00.000-07:00

Styley's video of our Mile End session

wallpaper* handmade...

2010-05-14T06:21:00.001-07:00

A short run of invitations for Wallpaper* Handmade... in Italy exhibition at Milan's Salone del Mobile design fair. Custom crest lineblock and English and Italian texts.

love6music.com

2010-05-13T06:19:00.000-07:00

elephant parade

2010-05-13T05:29:00.000-07:00

The question is, are we happy to suppose that our grandchildren may never be able to see an elephant except in a picture book?
David Attenborough

Thanks to all that have let me know about the Elephant Parade, I've spotted a few around already. The herd of 250 statues will be in town until end of July and will be auctioned to raise funds for conservation projects to combat the of serious problem of the plummeting Asian elephant population.

chile

2010-05-13T04:32:00.000-07:00

Clem's passport has now been christened with some South American ink as we've just returned from visiting her cousin, Xanti, over in Santiago, Chile. I'm sure there'll be a flood of photos on Anne's flickr soon and there's also the possibility of some lomos eventually too, but here are a few digi snaps in the meantime.

Swinging city

Mrs Monster and Mr Pillow Cheeks

Skated this park too!

session: holmer green ramp 27.04.10

2010-05-13T04:15:00.000-07:00

Good to have Mr Steel back in the country and discover this ramp

bird on wire

2010-04-27T08:20:00.000-07:00

A flock of very tame zebra finches currently occupy the Barbican's Curve gallery, fluttering between suspended electric guitar, bass and cymbal 'islands'. Several landed on my shoulder as I entered, obviously in search of a leader for their ambient rock group. Oddly relaxing and simultaneously unnerving, the sound reminded me of Neil Young's Dean Man soundtrack.

The Wire by Céleste Boursier-Mougenot until 23rd May.

familia

2010-04-23T14:05:00.000-07:00

A portion of the proceeds from these Familia boards goes to the Knysna Elephant Park in South Africa. Thumbs up.

oliphaunt

2010-04-15T02:17:00.000-07:00

If the acronym LOTR means something to you, theonering.net is in your bookmarks and you're excited about the upcoming Hobbit movie then you may recognize the subject matter of my latest letterpress print edition. Oliphaunt is a song from The Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkien, describing legendary beasts of the same name – not that you need to know that to like it. Graham and I printed a limited run of 100 which are available from Tolkien.co.uk

fwd: skateboardanimation

2010-04-12T05:04:00.000-07:00

Skateboardanimation from Tilles Singer, spotted by Stokes.

make a mark

2010-04-08T01:39:00.001-07:00

Political language - and with variations this is true of all political parties, from Conservatives to Anarchists - is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.
George Orwell, Politics and the English Language, 1946

In the run up to the general election, Make a Mark is a website of political posters by artists including Bob and Roberta Smith, Antony Gormley and Mark Wallinger available to download, print and display at your leisure.

Bob and Roberta Smith

Fraser Muggeridge

sightings [unborn calf]

2010-04-08T01:32:00.000-07:00

From Channel 4's Animals in the Womb

session: tottenham 01.04.10

2010-04-01T08:49:00.001-07:00

Tottenham ditch with Paul this morning before a dead battery and April showers

heroic self sacrifice

2010-03-28T08:03:00.000-07:00

Postman's Park memorial tiles. More information by the Gentle Author.

conservator

2010-03-26T09:59:00.000-07:00

Visiting Graham's studio is always a treat. Aside from our letterpress work, I get to see the paper conservation work which fills the rest of his time and the space. From 17th century manuscripts to Banksys, there's always amazing prints in the process of being restored. This week for example, M C Escher drawings leant against Milton Glaser posters and Damien Hurst spots.

Some before and after magic

sightings [topsy]

2010-03-24T14:56:00.000-07:00

The video above dates from 1903 and shows the electrocution of Topsy the elephant at Coney Island, New York. Topsy had been sentenced to death for killing three of her keepers, one of whom had tried to feed her a lit cigarette. The event, which was witnessed by 1,500 people, was really a publicity stunt by inventor and businessman, Thomas Edison in an attempt to discredit his rival's electricity distribution method. Edison was living well off the patent royalties of his direct current (DC) and used George Westinghouse and Nicola Tesla's alternating current (AC) to power a macabre series of animal executions.

moons audio diary

2010-03-22T14:26:00.000-07:00

Like a written diary but using sounds instead of words to sum up his day, Moons Audio Diary is a new endeavor by – the always entertaining – Mr Ollie Kristian. Personal favorite to date is 11/03/10.

clem's new cousin

2010-03-20T02:31:00.000-07:00

Xanti Gabriel Echeverria

born at 15:08 on 9th March 2010

weighing 8.3lb

¡Felicidades Julia & Roberto! Looking forward to meeting him in Chile next month

sightings [irrelephant]

2010-03-15T03:06:00.000-07:00

I may adopt this as my manifesto. ffffound by Roy

sightings [jumbo]

2010-03-10T07:45:00.000-08:00

When London Zoo sold Jumbo to P T Barnum, owner of The Greatest Show on Earth, in 1882 his height was 3.5 metres (11 1/2 ft) and by the time of his death he was estimated at 4 metres (13ft). Having become famous for giving rides to visitiors, 100,000 school children wrote to Queen Victoria, begging her not to allow the elephant to leave. Just three years later he was crushed by a locomotive and died in Ontario, Canada – according to Barnum – in the process of saving a young circus elephant, Tom Thumb.

His name, given to him by zookeepers and now a lexicon of the English language, is most likely a misspelling of jumbe, the Swahili word for chief, or perhaps derived from the term 'mumbo jumbo', the name of a masked figure among the Mandingo peoples of western Africa, originally used to describe an object of superstition or fear.

A more detailed account of Jumbo

news from nowhere

2010-03-09T06:32:00.000-08:00

Amazing woodcarving at William Morris Gallery, Walthamstow.

sightings [jennie]

2010-03-03T03:30:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to come to terms with my obsessive-compulsive image hoarding habit, and in an attempt to exorcise it, I'm going to start posting my collection of elephant and elephant-related images.

"Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce Jennie, the world's only vanishing elephant" master-illusionist Harry Houdini would cry as he beckoned her to the stage of the of the New York Hippodrome in 1918. She would raise her trunk in salute and then be led into a large red box. The doors were closed after her, followed by a suspense-building drum roll, and then the doors at both ends of the box were flung open. "You can plainly see, the animal is completely gone!" Houdini would announce to rapturous applause.

pop goes the clock

2010-02-24T13:24:00.000-08:00

A few minutes walk from my studio, where Goswell Road meets City Road, stands this beautiful clock made by J Smith & Sons, est Clerkenwell 1780. The triangle it stands on was recently repaved and the clock disappeared but I'm glad to see it's returned and now sports a familiar verse from Pop! Goes the Weasel set in the stone surrounding it.

Up and down the City Road, in and out The Eagle. That’s the way the money goes...

oni wa soto! fuku wa uchi!

2010-02-09T05:22:00.000-08:00

(Demons out! Luck in!) I didn't throw any soybeans but I did decide to mark last week's Setsubun by wishing my business good luck with this Maneki Neko (Beckoning Cat) mug.

burroughs the movie

2010-02-08T13:48:00.001-08:00

Sifting through the riches of UbuWeb turned up this fascinating film biography of William S. Burroughs.

Burroughs with Allen Ginsberg

crafty

2010-01-22T03:41:00.000-08:00

L etterpress feature in the latest issue of Crafts Council magazine – great to be mentioned in an well researched and accurate overview.

bmj cover

2010-01-14T07:34:00.000-08:00

At the end of last year Graham and I made a cover for the Christmas issue of the British Medical Journal.

harbinger

2010-01-05T04:36:00.000-08:00

New screen print series from wandering visionary and dear friend, Tim Hill. See his blog for more details.

session: uckfield 02.01.10

2010-01-05T04:23:00.000-08:00

A brief visit, trying to avoid ice and mud

twenty ten

2009-12-30T01:49:00.000-08:00

spitalfields life

2009-12-29T11:09:00.000-08:00

Having lived in Bethnal Green for a number of years, I was thrilled to discover Spitalfields Life, a blog with daily posts on matters relating to the area, which can range from interviews with 'Mr Sammy', owner of Beigel Bake, to a serialised account of the Ratcliffe Highway murders of 1811 (on corresponding dates no less). The Gentle Author's words are as well-chosen as his subjects, so it makes for addictive reading, particularly if, like me, you have a fascination with an area that stems from things you notice when walking it.

I was humbled to be interviewed for the blog about the Oranges & Lemons and Pop! Goes the Weasel posters.

my type: proofed

2009-12-18T01:35:00.001-08:00

After some kind attention with a toothbrush and turps the new face has been proofed and is clean and cosy in case [thanks Ian]. Next on the list is to draw up the missing letters and get lineblocks cut to complete it.

session: cantalowes 11.12.09

2009-12-15T03:05:00.000-08:00

Buddycam footage from a cold Friday session with
Paul, French, McFly, Hiro and an unknown ripper

POP video

2009-11-27T08:42:00.000-08:00

The printing of POP! Goes the Weasel letterpress poster by Richard Ardagh and Graham Bignell at New North Press, London during August 2009. Directed and filmed by Tatjana Malachovskaja and produced and edited by Henry Butcher. Soundtrack by David Boyle.

my type

2009-11-25T14:04:00.000-08:00

New acquisition

typography workshop

2009-11-25T13:24:00.000-08:00

My first encounter with Alan Kitching's work was the huge typographic wall mural in the lobby of the old Guardian building on Farringdon Road. It has been vivid in my mind ever since; an energetic encounter with the newspaper's manifesto and a bastion of expressive typography. The Guardian has since relocated with no sign of the mural, so it was great to see sections of it again, along with the beautifully composed Broadside series, in a retrospective of Kitching and partner Cecila Stothard's work in Borough.

Sections from The Guardian mural

Broadside 5: Clerkenwell Typographic Map

trumpet blowing

2009-11-17T06:20:00.001-08:00

From ES magazine, Friday 13th November 2009.

NB For those who care: my studio is in Clerkenwell (New North Press
where the photo was taken is 'near Hoxton Square'), Marc Jacobs is
not officially a client and the correct spelling is Oliphaunt. So there.

wax on, wax off

2009-11-12T02:40:00.000-08:00

I finally made it back to the Royal Academy yesterday to see the rest of the Anish Kapoor exhibition. It's a stunning show that I wouldn't do justice trying to describe. For a lengthier description see Roy's blog.

Svayambh, a 30-tonne block of wax, paint and Vaseline
that runs back and forth through five empty galleries

buy the book

2009-11-10T01:03:00.000-08:00

I joined Graham on the New North Press stand at the Fine Press Book Fair in Oxford on Saturday where there was some lovely work on show from a host of international exhibitors. The timing was perfect to show off Graham's Traveling Barmaid book which was highly commended in the British Book Design & Production Awards last week, as well as a sneak preview of our newest print (more on that soon).

Graham on the New North Press stand

A page from The Traveling Barmaid

pink pumpkin

2009-10-22T01:31:00.001-07:00

Trick or treat? Birthday girl ready for spooking

lomo archive update

2009-10-07T04:39:00.000-07:00

In the eight years that I've owned one, I've taken my Lomo LCA just about everywhere with me. She's an old friend and we've shared some lovely places and beautiful moments together, but I'm ashamed to admit that I increasingly neglect her. Every now and then, when I can scape together the small fortune it takes, I develop the collection of film canisters that loiter behind tea cups on my desk. Here are a small few new additions to my image archive.

who killed laura palmer?

2009-10-01T03:44:00.000-07:00

Anne and I have been working our way through Twin Peaks season one boxset. It's been my first experience of it and I have to admit I can't get enough, so it's great to hear that season two is finally being released on DVD - we just have to wait until February next year!

"Damn fine coffee! And hot!"

whistle-stop design festival

2009-09-24T09:04:00.000-07:00

Wisely or not, I tried to fit all the things I wanted to see at this year's London Design Festival into one day - today - joined along the way by fellow letterpress enthustiast Mark and Old Faithful Mr McKinley.

Wallpaper* chair arch at V&A courtyard

Alan Kitching's contribution to London Posters, also at V&A

London Design Guide Living Room, Exhibition Road

Pop-up Letterpress Studio, Carnaby Street

Tall tree and the eye, Anish Kapoor, Royal Academy of Arts courtyard

araf!

2009-09-01T04:30:00.000-07:00

Skating in The Valleys: I won't lie to you, it was mint