Your East – The Hanging Party

It's not often you get the opportunity to see the work put into hanging an exhibition. And now Studio can reveal the preparation for the forthcoming 'Your East 私の東' exhibition at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, Norwich.

This superb show features the work of Andi Sapey and Andy Crouch, each with their own photographic interpretation of the east but from opposite sides of the world. Andi's collected work on his visits to Tokyo, are colourful and eccentric, while Andy's images of Norfolk are equally vibrant and bonkers. And sometimes, it's hard to tell them apart.

Here are the pics of the team hanging the show - very much a creative task in itself.







Studio designed the identity, wall graphics and publicity and sponsored the event with East Publishing. We were thrilled to help the guys with their first exhibition and show it first in Norwich. Afterwards, the Andy's plan to take 'Your East 私の東' to London but I think it would be great to stage it in Japan.





Your East appears at the SCVA from Friday 8th January until Thursday 28th January. Enjoy.



For more details visit www.scva.org.uk

Jason says, 'Yes'

As we all return to work and shake off Xmas lethargy it was nice to see this image sent in by dear friend, fellow NUCA alumni and designer Jason Hyde.

Before New Year, he and his partner Kate Modern decided to leave this snowy island for Bratislava in the Slovac Republic. Doubtless seeking solace and anonymity from demanding relatives and turkey dinners. Anyway, Jason snapped this Pet Shop Boys billboard advertising their recent world tour. Yeah, the Pets had been in town.



So, a good excuse to post another example of the work of Mark Farrow - but instead, taking design off the page and to the cold outdoors. That should be pop too.

Thanks Jason, meet you for a Pet-off and a cheeky glass in the French House very soon. Happy New Year.

Studio Selects: Top Sleeve Art 2009 - 3 of 3

3. Morrissey - Years of Refusal

Design by Anthony Lui, No Allegiances and Morrissey
Photography by Jake Walters
Band Photography by Travis Shinn

There has been a brilliant trilogy of LPs by Morrissey in this last decade, each featuring our fella pictured with a curious object - coveting a tommy gun, playing a fiddle in Rome and this year, left holding the baby. It plays nicely against his past image of celibacy and controversy. But it's more than just a great image: rather than dashing off the typo in a lazy flourish of Helvetica Neue, Anthony Lui drew inspiration from the decorative latin typography found on old Herb Albert LPs.



Morrissey's humourous use of photography can sometimes be over-looked. The campaign for this record featured several shots which play around with the image of his band, sometimes role playing in matching outfits (birthday suits pictured below). It's a detail I like. Seek out the inner sleeves to his previous three singles. I guarantee they will make you laugh out loud.



Any way, entertainment. Here's Moz playing this year at Great Yarmouth Pier. If you look closely you may see my nose.



Bubbling under, these covers also caught Studio's eye:


Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca


The XX


Iron and Wine - Around the Well

That's your lot.

Studio would like to thank all of our clients, friends and collaborators for making our 2009 such creative fun.
Happy New Year - all the best for 2010.

More on No Allegiances here.

Merry Christmas from Darren Leader Studio

Illustration by Scott Robinson.
(who successfully completed his internship and joins us in the New Year!)

Studio Booklet Preview

Here's a sneak preview of the Studio Results booklet.

Well, the cover anyway. Lovingly printed on GF Smith's Colorplan stock (pristine white with Morocco embossing, yum). The outer and inner cover feature shots taken by Andi Sapey in Tokyo of the Tori Gates.

Meanwhile, the text pages (printed on Naturalis Soft White) are boxed and ready to be dispatched for hand-stitching in the new year.





Finally, here's a shot of the glamorous, though reclusive Jane Carter - whose support on this project has been tremendous. In fact, on most of the stuff that Studio has done this year. Thanks Jane x

Studio Selects: Top Sleeve Art 2009 - 2 of 3

2. Pet Shop Boys - 'Yes'

Designed by Mark Farrow and Pet Shop Boys

Mark Farrow is one of my all-time favourites designers, so I may be biased but this design was a beaut.

Earlier this year Studio attended the D&AD President's Lecture by magazine editorial design legend David Hillman. When host Patrick Baglee asked David for an example of what is currently best in design, he chose this record sleeve and nothing from publishing. And why? Because it communicates a simple idea clearly and in a style which is entirely appropriate for the artist. And David likes ideas based design.



Plus, it gets round that challenge of how a record sleeve looks good when reduced to an icon in itunes.



Studio also recommends the re-issue of Spiritualized 'Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space'.
Again, a simple lateral concept which packages the CD as a sealed pill. Even the sleeve notes read like instructions accompanying medication - 'Do not operate machinery' - that kind of thing. Clever copywriting always improves a design 100%.



The rest of Farrow's work for Pet Shop Boys is superb too and a genuine masterclass in graphic design (sorry, I can't help myself).

Visit Mark Farrow here for more stuff. More on Spiritualized over there.

And so it's not all too minimal - here's the video to the single.

Studio Selects: Top Sleeve Art 2009 - 1 of 3

1. Jarvis Cocker - Further Complications.

Designed by Ian Anderson and Jarvis Cocker
Photography by Rankin

Music is an obvious passion and sleeve art definitely influenced my desire to go to art college. Record sleeves have to work hard for our attention, define the attitude of the artist. And if they're lucky, capture the mood of the culture at that moment when the music is coming out of your speakers.



To kick-off this short series of Studio favourites of 2009 is this fantastic LP cover by Jarvis Cocker - dressed as that cool but pervy history tutor, Rankin's use of white space accentuates Jarvis' lanky figure and his desire to move, dance and get frisky. it's unmistakably him. And as a cool contrast, the typography is black, fat, bloated and rounded. I like it a lot.



Here's the video directed by Stephanie Di Giusto which builds on the theme.



It's a complicated boogie (and we don't know any better).

Visit Jarvis here.