Recently I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to travel to Bucharest, Romania, for work. The trip was so that I could attend an art and design education fair and to talk at a couple of high schools about our courses. This was my first such recruitment trip abroad, and I’m told you oftenContinue reading “Graphic commons: Bucharest, a bohemian rhapsody”
Category Archives: History
Graphic commons: Oxford streets
For many, traipsing historic academic cobbles and staring at spires, let alone dreaming of them, would define any visit to Oxford. For me, on a family weekend there recently, it was an opportunity to study its graphic commons. Looking for its vernacular, I mostly steered clear of high-street parades, and came away finding the city’sContinue reading “Graphic commons: Oxford streets”
Festival of Britain benches
I have had a fascination with the Festival of Britain since I came across one of its guidebooks several years ago and wrote an article about it for Eye magazine’s blog. In my day job I have also had the pleasure of hearing Abram Games’ daughter, Naomi Games, talk to students about her father’s work,Continue reading “Festival of Britain benches”
Uncomfortable post-truths
In discussing 2016 election campaigns with a student recently, I mentioned that to have a true understanding of the topic, it was necessary to research publications that they might not agree with—the Daily Mail, the Express et al. It has to be said that most of the critiques I’ve read of both the EU referendum andContinue reading “Uncomfortable post-truths”
About Britain
A few years ago I wrote an article for Eye magazine blog after coming across a programme for the 1951 Festival of Britain. At the time I was aware of the existence of a series of small guide-books published to coincide with the festival called About Britain, but it was only recently that I actuallyContinue reading “About Britain”
Signal:03
It seems somewhat ironic that a journal called Signal should pass me by as it did with issue 1 and 2, (see previous post). But now that Signal:03 sits in my hands, I’m once again genuinely impressed with this publication is its breadth.
Punk philosophy
You could argue the need for yet another publication about punk. The ‘1976 and all that’ narrative has been told so often now that it reads like a dull pantomime with all original relevance of the story bled dry through over telling. There have been some publications in the last few years that have gone beyond this nostalgic rehash,Continue reading “Punk philosophy”
Ditchling Museum of Art+Craft
I’d read about Ditchling Museum of Art+Craft on the Design Week blog last year when it reopened after being refurbished. It made the design press largely because of the rebranding by Phil Baines, in which he re-drew Gill Sans for all accompanying graphics. In truth, what Baines had done more than help advise on the dressing of the museum wasContinue reading “Ditchling Museum of Art+Craft”
A people’s (graphic) history
A highlight of a recent trip to Manchester was a visit to the People’s History Museum. Housed in a specially converted pump-house, the museum hosts an amazing visual display of artefacts relating to political history of ordinary people in this country, with an obvious bent towards Manchester related events and organisations, from the Peterloo Massacre to celebrating 150Continue reading “A people’s (graphic) history”
Design for life—First Things First 2014
2014 sees the 50th anniversary of the 1964 First Things First manifesto. To mark the occasion, Cole Peters has decided to update the manifesto to represent the digital age. In the run up to its launch on Monday 3 March I’ve written an article for Eye blog which you can read here.
Nigel Ball 