Time Out 50: 50 years, 50 covers exhibition is on display at the Museum of Brands until 3 March 2019.
To quote Jacob Rees-Mogg (and I wouldn't under normal circumstances) this show is extremely "thin gruel". Considering the output of 'Time Out' over the last 50 years just featuring 50 covers is a bit pathetic.
Illustration by Bill Sanderson
The show is confined to a tiny corner of one of The Museum of Brands gallery spaces and will set you back £9 to see it. But more importantly, 50% of the selected covers are not very good. The remaining 50% are all designed and art directed by Pearce Marchbank and are brilliant.
This is another classic example of how the creative input to a magazine often stops, when a really talented art director departs, (the David Driver period at Radio Times being another example). Obviously, the editor at Time Out, James Manning, who curated this exhibition, had to be 'diplomatic' in his selection, in order to span the 50 years. But boy, does it show.
Illustration by Mick Brownfield
I would have simply filled the whole wall with Marchbank's work, it would have been so much better. Covers under his creative hand were ballsy, inventive, political, provocative, witty and wonderful, plus he often collaborated with great illustrator like Mick Brownfield, Peter Brooks, Bill Sanderson and more.
All covers shown above designed and art directed by Pearce Marchbank
I made a recorded interview the Pearce Marchbank some time back and he talked about his period at Time Out. Listen to it here.
But I have nothing but praise for The Museum of Brands, it is absolutely fantastic and packed to the hilt with all aspect of advertising, magazines and graphics from the Victoria period to the present. Every graphic designer needs to spend time there. It is wonderful and well worth the £9.