Alan Fletcher: Fifty years of graphic work (and play)
Alan Fletcher: Fifty years of graphic work (and play)
Cube Gallery, Manchester
Alan Fletcher has been described as one of the most influential graphic designers in British graphic design history, he died 2006 leaving a big legacy to all budding graphic designers like myself. If I’m honest I have to say that I had never heard of Alan Fletcher until I attended the CUBE Gallery in Manchester last week. This is not because I am ignorant, I’m just new to the graphic design scene and I’m still finding my feet with all the names and influences I am finding day by day. I do however have an advantage in the fact that I do enjoy going to galleries whether I have heard of the artist/ designer or not, just like I love to attend gigs of bands I have only heard of by recommendation. Alan Fletcher’s work did not disappoint me and I came away quite a fan.
I was surprised to find that I knew a piece of Alan Fletcher’s work already and had already touched upon it when I did my research file for the first ‘basic design’ module and looked at ‘Underground’ art. In fact there was a very wide range of styles of art and works which Alan Fletcher was involved in. These included posters, logos, typography, statues, collages and models. He did a lot of commercial work for art based businesses such as galleries and exhibitions which looked like they funded his personal and more experimental work which were the pieces I really admired.
There were various piece which really caught my eye such as the ‘Technological Graveyard’ which was basically a collage of pencils, there was also work he did using things he found around the house, all silver which started as a collage with just a spoon. I really like big bold bright posters and Alan Fletcher had plenty of these to offer. The main ones which stood out were the London bus, ‘I have nothing to say and I’m saying it’, ‘This Way Up’ and ‘Beware Wet Paint’. He also did a fantastic calendar which was simple, colourful, bold and bright, however the part which really captured my eye my favourite part of the whole exhibition were the paper animals, one was featured on the merchandise and advertising.
Overall there was a lot to take in and see, I learnt a lot from Alan Fletcher about how graphic design is so much more than logos and posters, nothing which I didn’t already know however it opened my eyes to how there is ways to balance work and play and how you can find a way to balance so many different forms of art and design within both.
Cube Gallery, Manchester
Alan Fletcher has been described as one of the most influential graphic designers in British graphic design history, he died 2006 leaving a big legacy to all budding graphic designers like myself. If I’m honest I have to say that I had never heard of Alan Fletcher until I attended the CUBE Gallery in Manchester last week. This is not because I am ignorant, I’m just new to the graphic design scene and I’m still finding my feet with all the names and influences I am finding day by day. I do however have an advantage in the fact that I do enjoy going to galleries whether I have heard of the artist/ designer or not, just like I love to attend gigs of bands I have only heard of by recommendation. Alan Fletcher’s work did not disappoint me and I came away quite a fan.
I was surprised to find that I knew a piece of Alan Fletcher’s work already and had already touched upon it when I did my research file for the first ‘basic design’ module and looked at ‘Underground’ art. In fact there was a very wide range of styles of art and works which Alan Fletcher was involved in. These included posters, logos, typography, statues, collages and models. He did a lot of commercial work for art based businesses such as galleries and exhibitions which looked like they funded his personal and more experimental work which were the pieces I really admired.
There were various piece which really caught my eye such as the ‘Technological Graveyard’ which was basically a collage of pencils, there was also work he did using things he found around the house, all silver which started as a collage with just a spoon. I really like big bold bright posters and Alan Fletcher had plenty of these to offer. The main ones which stood out were the London bus, ‘I have nothing to say and I’m saying it’, ‘This Way Up’ and ‘Beware Wet Paint’. He also did a fantastic calendar which was simple, colourful, bold and bright, however the part which really captured my eye my favourite part of the whole exhibition were the paper animals, one was featured on the merchandise and advertising.
Overall there was a lot to take in and see, I learnt a lot from Alan Fletcher about how graphic design is so much more than logos and posters, nothing which I didn’t already know however it opened my eyes to how there is ways to balance work and play and how you can find a way to balance so many different forms of art and design within both.
Alan Fletcher
We went to the 'Alan Fletcher: Fifty years of graphic work (and play)' at the CUBE in Manchester (Review to follow on next post)
I thought I would do a bit of research first and came across some interesting sites to share.
The first is The Time's obituary
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article650074.ece
The second site which I found was interesting is on The Design Observer Group website, an article again written after Alan's death.
http://observatory.designobserver.com/entry.html?entry=4787
50 Uses of Rubber Bands... Number 34
Number 34: Put a rubber band around the middle of your glasses as a fashion statement
50 Uses for Rubber Bands... Number 13
Number 13: To make trousers shorter attach a rubber band around the bottom and pull through the material & it takes inches off
50 Uses for Rubber Bands... Number 48
Number 48: Use to fire a spiders when they are running across your floor
50 Uses for Rubber Bands... Number 22
Number 22: Attach bands together & use as expandable shoe laces
50 Uses for... Rubber Bands
At uni we are doing a module called 'Ideas Generation' and the first brief I have been given to post on here is 50 Uses for... Rubber Bands. So below are my 50 use for rubber bands, enjoy!
1. Wear as a hair bobble
2. Flick the rubber band at someone to annoy them
3. Use as a catapult
4. Attach a number together and wear as a hairband
5. Wear two as earings
6. Place the rubber band around papers to secure them together
7. Attach different colour rubber bands together& wear as a pretty bracelet
8. Put a rubber band at the bottom of your scarf to attach the bottom
9. To attach the back of your glasses to your ears so they don't fall off
10. When pregnant & you need extra room in your jeans attach a rubber band to the botton and botton hole to create an extra inch
11. Make a rubber band ball
12. To hold socks up
13. To make trousers shorter attach a rubber band around the bottom and pull through the material & it takes inches off
14. Place a number of bands in a decorative bowl as a lovely room piece
15. To hold the back of a mobile togther when broken
16. Play a game & take it in turns to see who can fire a rubber band closest to a target
17. Make a rubber band spider & use it to scare people
18. Use rubber bands as a keyring
19. Use to hang things from on the ceiling as extra selling space in a shop
20. Place rubber bands around a pint glass so that if you drop it at the pub, it won't smash
21. Use instead of tape to support your broken fingers when they are straped together
22. Attach bands together & use as expandable shoe laces
23. Tie a band around a newspaper & use it to squat flies
24. Tie a band around the bottom of your ring to stop it from slipping off your finger if its too big
25. Place the rubber bands underneth table legs on he laminate floor so the table doesnt slip or move
26. Use a rubber band to stop your sleeves from falling down
27. Attach some bands together and play cats cradle
28. Use bands as handcuffs
29. Put rubber bands on a lumo pole so if you hit it accidently it wouldnt hurt
30. Put a number of bands together into a big band and place around someone sat on a bar stool so they don't fall off when drunk
31. Fling a rubber band across the room to get the attention of someone
32. Attach a spoon and fork together in the middle at opposite sides to make your own homemade 'spork'
33. Use elastic bands as an expandable lead for a dog
34. Put a rubber band around the middle of your glasses as a fashion statement
35. Cut the rubber band in half and use it as floss
36. Flick rubber bands at a dartboard instead of darts
37. Attach a lot of rubber bands together & use as a skipping rope
38. Put a lot of rubber bands around a book so you can bounce your uni books to class instead of having to carry them
39. Use instead of rope in a three legged race to give you more room to go quicker
40. Use rubber bands to self inflict small bruises to your arm so you can call in sick at work
41. Have competitions with friends to see how far you can flick the rubber bands
42. Use at the top and bottom of a read book so that it goes back to its original shape
43. Use to attach toes tightly together so you can squeeze your feet into your shoes for a night out
44. Attach to your back teeth and across the front to make it look like you wear braces
45. Place a number of bands in an empty jar and use it as an instrument
46. Fire a rubber band at a light switch to save you getting up
47. Use to start an dominos downfall from a distance
48. Use to fire a spiders when they are running across your floor
49. Use to keep a door slightly ajar but not the passing eye
50. Place a rubber band around a display to hold it up
1. Wear as a hair bobble
2. Flick the rubber band at someone to annoy them
3. Use as a catapult
4. Attach a number together and wear as a hairband
5. Wear two as earings
6. Place the rubber band around papers to secure them together
7. Attach different colour rubber bands together& wear as a pretty bracelet
8. Put a rubber band at the bottom of your scarf to attach the bottom
9. To attach the back of your glasses to your ears so they don't fall off
10. When pregnant & you need extra room in your jeans attach a rubber band to the botton and botton hole to create an extra inch
11. Make a rubber band ball
12. To hold socks up
13. To make trousers shorter attach a rubber band around the bottom and pull through the material & it takes inches off
14. Place a number of bands in a decorative bowl as a lovely room piece
15. To hold the back of a mobile togther when broken
16. Play a game & take it in turns to see who can fire a rubber band closest to a target
17. Make a rubber band spider & use it to scare people
18. Use rubber bands as a keyring
19. Use to hang things from on the ceiling as extra selling space in a shop
20. Place rubber bands around a pint glass so that if you drop it at the pub, it won't smash
21. Use instead of tape to support your broken fingers when they are straped together
22. Attach bands together & use as expandable shoe laces
23. Tie a band around a newspaper & use it to squat flies
24. Tie a band around the bottom of your ring to stop it from slipping off your finger if its too big
25. Place the rubber bands underneth table legs on he laminate floor so the table doesnt slip or move
26. Use a rubber band to stop your sleeves from falling down
27. Attach some bands together and play cats cradle
28. Use bands as handcuffs
29. Put rubber bands on a lumo pole so if you hit it accidently it wouldnt hurt
30. Put a number of bands together into a big band and place around someone sat on a bar stool so they don't fall off when drunk
31. Fling a rubber band across the room to get the attention of someone
32. Attach a spoon and fork together in the middle at opposite sides to make your own homemade 'spork'
33. Use elastic bands as an expandable lead for a dog
34. Put a rubber band around the middle of your glasses as a fashion statement
35. Cut the rubber band in half and use it as floss
36. Flick rubber bands at a dartboard instead of darts
37. Attach a lot of rubber bands together & use as a skipping rope
38. Put a lot of rubber bands around a book so you can bounce your uni books to class instead of having to carry them
39. Use instead of rope in a three legged race to give you more room to go quicker
40. Use rubber bands to self inflict small bruises to your arm so you can call in sick at work
41. Have competitions with friends to see how far you can flick the rubber bands
42. Use at the top and bottom of a read book so that it goes back to its original shape
43. Use to attach toes tightly together so you can squeeze your feet into your shoes for a night out
44. Attach to your back teeth and across the front to make it look like you wear braces
45. Place a number of bands in an empty jar and use it as an instrument
46. Fire a rubber band at a light switch to save you getting up
47. Use to start an dominos downfall from a distance
48. Use to fire a spiders when they are running across your floor
49. Use to keep a door slightly ajar but not the passing eye
50. Place a rubber band around a display to hold it up
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)