Graphic Journey Blog

Do Look Now

On my regular weekly trip to the cinema I went to see this…

 Michael Winterbottom’s ‘Genova’ (2008). Within ten minutes I was stuck by the connection with this much early film…

‘Don’t Look Now’ (1973), Nichols Roeg’s cinematic masterwork. Winterbottom is clearly paying homage to Roeg’s groundbreaking film. From the off  'Genova' has a deeply unsettling mood, brought about by Marcel Zyskind’s cinematography – erratic, hand held and constantly on the move, using available light to such and extent that whole scenes appeared to be underexpose, which adds to the claustrophobic and menacing quality of the film. This coupled with the location – Genova’s labyrinthine network of alleyways and a brilliantly skillful soundscape by Joakim Sunstrom. We are drawn into the darkness of this world, populated with shadowy, menacing figures and the cries, whispers and swirling echoes of life in these unsetelling ancient canyons. Winterbottom replicates the same sensation achieved by Roeg in the darken canals and alleyways of Venice, so loving pieced together over three decades ago. The Basic outline to ‘Genova’ goes like this. Following the tragic death of Marianne, wife of Joe, played by Colin Firth. He along with his two young daughters move from Chicago to Genova in Italy for a one year teaching post, in order to try to put their lives back together. While there Firth’s youngest daughter, Kelly – who was inadvertainly the cause of car crash blames herself for her mother's death – begins to hear her mother talking. And later beings to see her. So we have a similar scenario as ‘Don’t look Now’ with the roles reversed – Daughter dies tragically in the opening moments of the film. Mother, played by Julie Christie, recuperates in Venice with her husband, Donald Sutherland. While eating in a restaurant Christie is told by a blind woman, also in the same dining room and is clairvoyant, that Christie’s dead daughter wants her to know that she is happy. From there on begins a bizarre series of events. If you’ve never seen it, you should. Both films have climatic endings that draw all the character together to a single point. In ‘Don’t Look Now’ it is the death of Sutherland. In ‘Genova’ it is the near death of Kelly. But the latter film lacks power and fades in comparison to the final moments of ‘Don’t Look Now’. But for all that Winterbottom has made a throuhrly compelling film, with clearly little budget, but a highly creative crew and ensemble of actors. Well worth paying for an unsettling 93 minutes.

Type cast

And on the topic of J.P.Donleavy. In the early days he had it written into all publishing contracts that covers for his book had to be only typographical. This is how the ever resourceful Alan Aldridge tackled the problem in 1967, with this Penguin paperback edition of Donleavy's terrific short stories...

Graphic echos

The wonderful thing about designing book covers, over most other pieces of print, is that they seem to last forever. They are the ultimate recyclable product. Take this for example, published 1963...

Found in a charity shop in 2009. I had bought an original copy back in the 60s because I loved the cover so much. And in doing so fell in love with J.P.Donleavy and devoured all of his book thereafter - such is the power of a book cover. It was designed by John Piper - art director of Corgi Books in the 60s - and was selected for inclusion in the very first D&AD annual in 1964. It uses Schnellfetter Grotesk, a typeface also used in many magazines of the period - Man About Town (later Town) art directed by Tom Wolsey from 1961...

But I first saw Schnellfetter used in the highly influential German magazine of the time, Twen...

It left everything standing at the time. Originally art directed by Max Bill but taken to a new level by Willy Fleckhaus, an untrained genius of the editorial page. Twen was a major inspiration for Nova magazine launched in 1965, originally art directed by the great designer and photographer, Harri Peccinotti...

I know that I tend to go on a bit too much about the sixties. And it isn't because I don't think that there are great things going on now, there are. It is the sheer innocents of the period, no focus groups, committees, reader surveys etc. They just got on and did it. And the results are still, to my mind, beautiful.

Sam Serif # 15

Bentley/Farrell/Burnett

It’s funny how there are trends in the naming of design companies. Currently we have a passion for the singular and quirky : Spin, Yes, Form, Purpose, Together, - you get the idea.  In the 50s and early 60s it was all a bit technical sounding, with collectives like, Design Research Unit, Planning Unit, Forum Design Unit. In the mid 60s to 70s all you had to do was slot the principal names together: Fletcher/Forbes/Gill. Churchill/Holmes/Kitley. Abis/Stribley/Sider. Negus & Negus. Henrion Ludlow Schmitt etc, all sounding like firms of solicitors or a rock group - Emerson Lake & Palmer. Crosby, Still & Nash and so on. In 1969 these three turned up…

Bentley/Farrell/Burnett…

 

They made quite a splash. What you have to realise is that early 60s was locked into a Swiss inspired stranglehold. Grids, sans serif fonts, all ranged left in a sea of white, were the disciplines of the day. But as the sixties progressed and London began to ‘swing’ the rather clinical Swiss approach was out of step with the prevailing youth culture. A greater fluidity was beginning to surface. In the UK Alan Aldridge, Alan Cracknell. Adrian George and Barry Zaid were breaking down the grids. And over the pond in the US they had Peter Max and Push Pin Studio collective, all helping to change the face of graphics and illustration. Within a short space of time every designer in London was reassessing his or her work, and as their shirts and dresses became more flowery and colourful, so too did their work. Others doggedly stayed on the Swiss rails. Not so for Bentley/Farrell/Burnett, they were a group born out of that psychedelically induced era, and their work perfectly reflects the period. Take a look…

 

 

 

 

They were together for just a few years. In that time they managed to clock up an alarming amount of awards, including 2 D&AD Silver. Then just as fast as they surfaced, they disappeared, breaking up and going their separate ways, but continuing as solo designers. As individuals they never quite producing that  same sense of occasion. During that short period together they made work that is an important part of British graphic history, which has a vibrancy that still pleases.

Thought for our times

Personal journal: Short back and sly

As a boy, my mother used to take me for a weekly visit to the cinema. I loved it. We clocked up westerns, musicals, comedies, war movies and lots more. And just about every Victor Mature film going - a special favourite of my mum’s. If you are a regular reader of this blog you will know that I have a bit of a thing about films. Well, in 1953 we went to see a film called, ‘Trouble in Store’. It stared Norman Wisdom and I was absolutely smitten by him and also became slightly obsessed. In the film, he sang a song called ‘ Don’t Laugh at Me ‘Cos I’m a Fool’. It turned into a big hit. If you’re ever in particularly cheesy mood have a little listen.

Anyway, one of my other regular outings was a visit to the barber for my short back and sides. On this particular day, I was sitting on the bench seat waiting my turn to be served. I started thumbing through the magazines. I picked up a copy of Picturegoer (a film mag of the period). The cover featured a picture of Norman Wisdom...Even better there was a centre spread of him. I wanted it, had to have it. Very slowly I started to dislodge the staples, looking around as I did so, at the row of men puffing away on their pipes and cigarettes, just to make sure I wasn’t being observed. When the page became detached I carefully folded it in two, taking care to be sure that the barber hadn’t spotted my slight of hand. Once removed from the magazine I casually shoved it up the front of my pull over.

‘Next’, came the voice. My heart started to thump. As I rose up I could hear the crackling of the paper beneath my jumper. Throughout the haircut I sat motionlessly and bolt upright, thinking any moment the hairdresser would discover my misdemeanour. Every time I breathed in I could hear the crackling of the pages. My cheeks were burning, my pulse rate quickening. I wished I hadn’t done it.

‘There you go sonny, that’ll be 2/6p’. I jumped out of my skin. Got out of the chair and followed the barber to the till. The sound of the pages rubbing against my Fair Isle jumper seemed even louder as I travelled the length of the shop, and I was even hotter.

I paid my 2/6p and ran out of the shop and was halfway down the road before I felt safe enough to extract my booty. There was Norman resplendent in a black, orange duotone. Perfect for my bedroom wall.

This event stayed with me for years. In the 1970s I recalled the event in this autobiographical painting…

The reason for telling this story is simple; all of your life is an inspiration. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But soon, and for the rest of your life. Now, where have I heard that before?

And poor Norman Wisdom is now tucked away in a home somewhere on the Isle of White suffering from the dreaded Alzheimer’s disease. So sad.

POST SCRIPT: Norman Wisdom died on October 4, 2010 aged 95.

 

Room 101

" Shall we go for a drink?" "Yes, cool." " See you at seven". "Cool". " Cool". SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! 

We are designers. We are supposed to be imaginative and individual. Right?  So why do we slavishly follow these boringly lazy trends in, so called, fashionable words? It's so, so, well, uncool. Here's an experiment. Avoid using 'cool' for 24 hours, but keep count of the number of times you hear those around you using and let me know. The most times recorded times gets their photo on this blog. But no cheating.

Sue Blane: Stage fright

This is Sue Blane...

 

She is a theatre and costume designer and famous for this...

 

'The Rocky Horror Show'

 

She also designed the costumes for Peter Greenaway's, 'The Draughtsman's Contract'...

 

wonderfully elegant and at times totally outrageous...

 

To add to her Royal Designer status, Sue received an MBE for her services to the theatre. She also has a very good story to tell. I recorded an RDInsights interview with her a few weeks ago.

 

So if you are only slightly interested in this area of design, it's well worth making a cuppa and clicking  here. Then just sit back in a comfortable chair and listen.  

Iron Man

There is a line in Bob Dylan’s song, ‘It’s Alright ma’ that goes, ‘But even the president of the United States sometimes must have to stand naked.’ I think it was Dylan’s way of verbally reducing everyone down to the same level. I have a very similar view about ironing. I sometimes like to imagine my heroes performing this mundane necessity. Think for a moment about the great designer Charles Eames, responsible for some of the most iconic chairs and still, 30 years after his death, are worldwide bestsellers. But did he ever do his own ironing, that is the question? And if so, did he enjoy it? The ironing board is an important symbol in John Osborn’s play ‘Look Back in Anger’...

While Jimmy Porter rants on about the world, his wife, Alison dutifully irons his shirts. Jimmy never does of course because, well, he’s a man’s man. And what about every graphic students hero, Peter Saville...

- often photographed half dressed, or in a white bath robe, cigarette lazily slotted in the corner of his mouth in a Belmondoesque sort of way, looking as if he’s had a hard night with some sensual beauty...

Now what would he look like bending over an ironing board pressing those drainpipe white jeanes? Sorry that didn’t sound quite decent  - well, you know what I mean. And here is the Faber &  Faber book cover for ‘Look Bank in Anger’...

 It was designed by the ex Pentagram guru John McConnell. What about him brandising an iron? Actually on second thoughts,  I don’t want to think about that. So whenever you feel slightly intimidated or in awe of a design hero, use my little leveling method. It works a treat. And do I iron? Well, you’ll just have to use your imagination.