This is a selection of images that are favourites of mine; not necessarily the best of my work, & in some cases never used, but for a variety of reasons I like ’em.
Exquisite Corpse – Chelsea Arts Club 2009 My drawing for the members' winter exhibition at the club. The concept is the old Surrealists' party game; one draws the head, another the body & yet another the legs; simply combine to create an Exquisite Corpse. I got 'Legs'.
Chateau des Artistes – London 1977-86 There is a studio archive photo including the beautiful Chen Ling, holding a Salmanazar-sized* bottle of Champagne bearing our label. A perfect present of 9 litres of fizz for a perfect client. Our studio was adjacent to the Albert Hall, hence the central image; the caricatures varied according to the studio cast list. *Salmanazar was the King of Assyria from 859-824 BC. Why him? Answers, please, on a post-card.
Rowntree – UK 1979 Some more early brand extension; we were approached by Rowntree to develop some other confectionary products based upon their existing brands. Thus giant Smarties full of chocolate ice cream, Kit-Kat Krisp ice cream & this, a huge ice-lolly flavoured with Polo mint. Yum.
Lloyds Bank – UK 1987-90 My illustration for a new product launch of Corporate Construction Loans; an attempt to describe not only skyscraper office/retail development, but also the simplicity of the deal, it’s just nuts & bolts.
Mount Rushmore Rocks – London 2000 Another image from the same series; the famous mountain-side sculpture of legendary American Presidents, with replacement heads of Rocky (Silvester Stallone), Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali), Rock Hudson, & Sharon Stone.
Biba Cosmetics Poster – Global 1977 This is one of my favourite images – it should be since, egotistically, I almost did the lot on this project. I drew up my concept, selected the model (ex-Page 3 girl Stephanie Marrian) & the photographer (James Wedge), designed the make-up look, art directed the photo shoot & designed the final poster. I even built the set. So if you don’t like it, you know whom to blame.
I was once married - a very creditable & plucky attempt, I might add; the end result of which is a fantastic best mate, my ex-wife Gloria. The next series of images are the interiors & furniture pieces I designed for our old home in Chelsea.
The living room in black, white & Chinese lacquer red, with the glass-topped table that I still own, albeit with a few chips & scratches…
but not this dining room table, since the trustafarii who bought the old house bought everything – the lot – the entire contents, minus the cat...
...but including this matching sideboard, note the Michael Graves clock, the Elephant tea-pot & the Biba Coffee tin…
Fortunately he did buy this Egyptian mausoleum wardrobe, which is as well since I could never have gotten it out of the fourth floor bedroom without breaking it into pieces.
The most bizarre fire suit ever, the result of the F1 Race Committee not allowing the BAR team to run two differently liveried cars from the same garage. The solution? Maintain the two brands but in just one livery, made by combining our two disparate designs with a zip around the join.
MM-M&M's – London 2000 One of several images I created for Smollensky's The American Brasserie, based on double US brand puns. Levis/Elvis Lives is one of this series, along with Michael Jackson Pollock. I just love the silliness of Marilyn's iconic beauty spot being described in M&M'S.
Think Pink – UK 2004 The exhibition stand for a retail/web co. who just sell pink things - & why not? Hence the glossy blob of what not only looks like bubblegum, but smells like bubblegum too, due to a marvelous machine I installed that puffs out ‘parfum de gum’ every five minutes - & thus driving the sales team to distraction.
Tiger Rag – UK 1991 Our identity for a small retailer of Indian carpets & antique fabrics with a sense of humour.
Kronenbourg – Europe 1974 Packaging for a beer aimed at women. 'The beer you can drink as a tonic'. Chic sophistication with a hint of lousy bottle specification. However, look at the sandwich makers’ typographic logo; I would love to know who 'borrowed', or perhaps 'recycled', our typeface, with no credit, or indeed fee.
London Transport – 1977 The silver bus designed to celebrate the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977, twenty-five No.25 Routemaster buses, a route that fortunately runs past Buckingham Palace, which was very handy for the minor members of the royal family.
The Designer of the Year Award – France 1978-80 The design concept is based upon the Grecian myth of Ariadne, the girl who gave Theseus the golden thread, so that he might retrace his steps from the labyrinth having slain the Minotaur.
Nestlé – Europe 1988 We were asked for concept ideas on how to reduce the European tomato pyramid; our solution - huge red bombs of spicy Killer Tomato, the drink with a jolt.
Lloyds Bank – UK 1987-1990 I was always taught 'never patronize teenagers’. And it's probably true. So this is my brave attempt to persuade young adults to begin to save for their future - a futile task you might think. However someone has to try.
Benson & Hedges – UK 1980 CDP, the finest of London advertising agencies in an era of the best, commissioned us to design B&H wallpaper for one of their series of surreal ads. Beautifully printed by Osborne & Little, and photographed by Adrian Flowers. Art direction by Alan Waldie.
The Taming of the Shrew– USA/Global 1995 Whilst working upon the Arkangel project to record the complete works & complete text of William Shakespeare, we were going to illustrate each of the 38 plays individually, but eventually due to budgetary constraints we had to use just one illustration for the entire series. (see graphics section) This pencil rough combines the image of the woman with the image of the shrew - a clever optical illusion called figure/field.
The Bee Gees – Global 1984 Billboard magazine published an entire edition in homage to the talents of the youngsters. Fifty illustrators from around the world were commissioned to produce a visual of one of their tunes. We were given 'Jive Talkin' – which is about lying – why us?
Insalada Apicella – 2006 My portrait of old friend, bon viveur, architect, designer, illustrator, political cartoonist, restaurateur Enzo Apicella; with that amount of talent, he deserves to be caricatured as a meat salad.
Deep Frieze – London 1989 My illustration for a limited edition print to celebrate our 21st year in business. The interwoven imagery represents some of our previous projects & some of our more notable events. We held the greatest party ever at the Roof Garden Club, which was our studio in 1973, during the construction phase of Big Biba.
Mon Desire – 1984 I designed this logo for a bar that was conceived but never built, next to Mon Plaisir restaurant in London's Covent Garden. I thought that an abstraction of the story of Adam & Eve was suitable imagery for a brand name of 'my lust'.
Judas Jump: Scorch – 1971 The album cover design for a rock and roll combo comprising the remnants of Amen Corner and the Herd, and all too damned handsome by half. Enviously, I decided to gild the lot of 'em. It was a very hot summer’s day in the even hotter Vogue studios and wonderful rivulets of sweat were forming under the gilding. It could have killed them, of course, but someone has to suffer for me to win design awards.