IN PRINT CONDITION

An exclusive look into the mind of

BY SHEEAN HANLAN

Ared “Sorry We’re Open” sign. A poster of surfer girls on the beach covered with fashion brand Roxy’s bold font. “I tend to agree with her easier that way” printed in all caps on a colorful gradient. These are just a few designs by celebrated designer, author, and lecturer Clive Piercy (1955–2017) on view until June 24 at the Alyce de Roulet Williamson Gallery at ArtCenter College of Design, where Piercy was a professor. Curated by his wife, Ann Field, “Hello, LA” is a solo exhibition that celebrates Piercy’s ingenious contributions to the world the late

British designer Clive Piercy and other exhibitions happening around town.

of graphic design over 40 years, between Los Angeles and London.

Born in Cheltenham, England, in 1955, Piercy moved to Santa Monica in the 1980s. The archetype of an English gentleman, he drew inspiration for his client work from the bright colors and built environment of the West Coast. Through a collection of photos, typography prints, posters, objects, lms, and installations, the exhibition reveals Piercy’s innovative melding of British sensibilities with the aesthetics and culture of the City of Angels. Design legend Paula Scher says the British expat taught her how to see Los Angeles in his elegant, witty, and sensitive way. Piercy founded design firm Ph.D with Michael Hodgson, where they created branding for numerous Fortune 500 companies. After leaving Ph.D, he established Air Conditioned, and worked with longtime clients like Nike, Levi’s, Chronicle Books, Quiksilver, and Roxy. Piercy designed the cover for Elton John’s album “Too Low for Zero,” wrote and designed the book “Pretty Vacant: The Los Angeles Dingbat Observed,” and created branding for the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Meticulous in his craftsmanship, Piercy was also in uenced by graphic designers Tibor Kalman and Stephen Doyle, and independent design consultancy Pentagram. artcenter.edu

Also on view this season …

The Hilton Als Series: Njideka Akunyili Crosby

Through June 12

The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, huntington.org

Carl Craig: Party/After-Party

Through July 23

The Ge en Contemporary at MOCA, moca.org

All Consuming: Art and the Essence of Food

Through August 14

The Norton Simon Museum, nortonsimon.org

▼ Keith Haring: Art Is for Everybody

Through October 8 The Broad, thebroad.org