Edition One
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Ampersand is wholly owned by Matt Ellwood, and is protected by copyright. All work reproduced in Ampersand is subject to copyright and remains the property of the respective creators and owners. All content expressed within Ampersand is not necessarily the view or opinions of the publisher.
The Ampersand Collective Joe Bateman Kristyna Litten S.B. Signs
All interviews and descriptions in this edition of Ampersand have undergone some minor editorial intervention, though we have been careful to retain the intended meaning. We would like to thank the interviewees and contributors for their help, and their permission to feature the following content.
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Credits Ampersand Edition One was design by Matt Ellwood www.mattelllwood.co.uk mattellwood@gmail.com
w w w.ampersand-online.co.uk
Edition One
Presenting Chris Wilson Matt Ellwood Jennifer Madden Tom Peet James Richard Prorok Simon Walvin Holly Webster Amy Dover Kristyna Litten David Galletly Sophie Warden Vangeli Moschopoulous Nicola O’Byran Mr Owl Menna Jenkins Richard Abrams Sean McLeod
Forword Welcome to the first edition of Ampersand. Allow us to introduce ourselves: Ampersand is a quarterly released design publication that showcases the very best of new design. Edition one features a collection of design showcases from recent design graduates, established designers, illustrators, and artists. Edition One also features a collective collaborative design piece, composed from the Edition One participants who have pooled their creativity working together to create a single design piece – The Ampersand Collective. We have been overwhelmed by the support, and would like to take this opportunity to personaly thank everyone who has supported and contributed to Ampersand, and enabled us to make our vision a reality. Special thanks you must go to the extremely talented illustrator Kristyna Litten, for her hard work. A self-designed — written and edited publication is a new territory for us, and we aim to turn Ampersand into something special for the wider design community. We hope you enjoy the follow-ing design showcases in Edition One, and don’t forget you can always visit us online at — www.ampersand-online.co.uk. Until next time, Matt Ellwood Editor & Art Director
Chapter One — Graphic Design Showcase —
CHRIS WILSON
Chris Wilson is an aspiring graphic designer graduating this year from the University of Northumbria. He believes passionately that craft is a crucial element of graphic design. To develop his work he uses visual expertise and an informed understanding of both, concept and aesthetic.
Contact. hellochriswilson@gmail.com www.chriswilsondesign.co.uk
Life is (not) black & white.
A design intervention in a public space. Nothing in life is a simple as we first presume. This poster uses an optical illusion to reflect its content and meaning. The intention of this project was to explore visually the assumption that values and morals exist in one of two states; a form of duality. Humans seem eager to divide issues into either, good or evil, young or old, it is the unrealistic nature of these divisions this project addresses.
Chris began by focusing his attention on the idea that 'life is not black and white'. “This phrase struck me as a useful device with which to express my concept typographically” — chris wilson. The inspiration for the half-tone technique originated from walking close to a billboard advert and being able to see that up close, even dark tones contained a range of CMYK process colour dots.
Using this technique to create type allows the letterforms to transform from black and white to a diverse coloured pattern when a viewer moves closer. The poster was printed and placed on a brick wall next to a footpath used by the public. Arranging the poster on a brick wall was deliberate as it represents a foundation of regimented thinking that underpins the social views my project addresses.
MATT ELLWOOD
Matt Ellwood is a recent Graphic Design graduate from Northumbria University. He specializes in Typography and Editorial design, having designed and produced the Northumbria University Graphic Design Degree Show 2010 publication and promotional material. As well as orchestrating Ampersand, The Ampersand Collective and the design of Edition One.
Contact. www.mattellwood.co.uk mattellwood@gmail.com
Our Vanishing Night.
Our Vanishing Night is a double side luminous foldout poster which demonstrates the growing problem of light pollution caused by 'Our Light' which is causing the night sky to vanish, becoming lost in a growing orange haze. The poster is a combination of screen printing and digital printing. The front is fully screen printed, complete with luminous 'Our Light' typography. The reverse, digitally printed on hi-res matte paper with additional screen printed typography in luminous ink. Folded and packaged in a black tear strip envelope screen printed with Carnival Clear Screen Varnish.
JENNIFER MADDEN
Jennifer Madden is a talented graphic designer and illustrator who has recently graduated from Northumbria University, her work is both conceptualy strong and well executed, not to mention illustrative tallent.
Contact. www.jennifermadden.co.uk jennifer.madden@unn.ac.uk
Twisted Logic
A set of three promotional posters for a Newcaslte Club Night, directed at students ages 18-25 that have an interest in techno music. The overall design and concept is looking at behavioral aspects of interesting animals and how they would relate to equipment and sounds used for a techno DJ set. Jennifer Madden uses a mix of graphic design coupled with her own beautiful illustration. Elephants can hear infrasound, and this reflects the high quality booming sounds of the sub bass equipment used on the night. Therefore, for one of her posters, she combined the image of an elephant with sub-bass speakers as its ears. The woodpecker represents the minimal 'tech' beats of the night due to its tapping behavior on wood used to find food and to communicate territorially. It is hand drawn to merge with a metronome that is used in music to keep a steady pulse. The chameleon is a fascinating animal able to change colours dependent on its physiological conditions and as a social indicator to other chameleons. A channel mixer is used to mix sounds on the club night to create a change the atmosphere on the dance floor hence the appropriate hand drawn combination with the chameleon. I chose the typeface Futura for the main typeface as it is a high impact face appropriate for posters and accompanied it with the serif font Baskerville to compliment the more important information of the night with extra details.
TOM PEET
Tom Peet is a Graphic designer living and working in Newcastle. After two years at college he had a basic knowledge of graphic design, but it was at university that Tom learnt the fundamental rule of function before form and the importance of ideas and concepts. However sticking to the knowledge that if it doesn't look good it is probably wrong, applying the maxim 'Good is never good enough'. Having recently graduated he believes 'continually learning the importance of strong concepts and development of ideas, combining the two to create innovative and professional solutions to any design problem'. Tom’s design passions lie in typography, branding, promotional graphics and editorial design. Contact. www.tompeet.co.uk tom@tompeet.co.uk
Vanilla.
Awarded membership to ISTD (International society of Typographic Designers). The brief was to create the brand identity for a new international television channel. "I chose the name Vanilla as I wanted to challenge peoples preconceptions of the word Vanilla, often as plain or mundane. However the channels aim is to provide cutting edge and contemporary entertainment, thus Vanilla becoming something challenging and unexpected". The Vanilla identity style is a pastiche of early 'retro' television identities such as CBS or ABC, a more playful and dynamic style of branding.
JAMES RICHARD PROROK
James Richard Prorok is 22 years of age. He is a recents graduate of Graphic Design from Northumbria University. He previously studied graphic design at Leeds College of Art and Design for two years before moving to Newcastle. Working under the ethos that communicating emotion is as important as communicating information; James has developed a unique style of illustration and graphic design. Contact. www.jamesrp.com jrprorok@gmail.com
"Play using the Love & Devotion found in your Strongest Organ".
Play using the Love & Devotion found in your Strongest Organ— A design intervention presented in the format of a short film. The organ, accompanied with a hanging mobile, forming a visual extension of the beautiful instrument, sitting above it and inviting one to play it. It's a playful sentence which embodies the beauty of the organ. The mobile is made from laser etched pieces of Walnut. To see the beautiful video, visit — www.jamesrp.com
NORTHUMBRIA UNIVERSITY GRAPHIC DESIGN DEGREE SHOW – TWENTY TEN
Outside The Box.
Designed by Simon Walvin, Chris Wilson, Holly Webster and Matt Ellwood. These four designers pooled there creativity to create the Northumbria University Degree Show, including the design and production of the degree show catalogue publication, the exhibition promotion, and the degree show exhibition it self. Contact. www.graphicdesign2010.com www.degreeshowtwentyten.blogspot.com
The Northumbria University Graphic Design degree show exhibition is more than just showing off 58 students. The publication for the exhibition represents three years of impassioned learning, research and development. Thousands of hours of study and play, which has produced a group of individuals, each charged with unique abilities, skills and personalities. Northumbria Universities Graphic Design Degree Show 2010 showcases the dedication and talent of this year’s graduating designers.
Thinking outside the box —Âthe idea of creativity is shown through the overall identity and grouping of the Northumbria Graphic Design students. The identity being Pantone 7474U, this certain shade of green blue unites the whole course, covering a selection of 58 objects, with each object representing some-thing special about each person from the course. The objects are photographed elegantly projected from the inside of a box. This level of creativity simply can not be contained, as these designers have been shaped by the conceptual nature of the course, which has nurtured their creativity, ensuring that they are not afraid to think outside of the box.
Chapter Two — Illustration Showcase —
AMY DOVER
Amy Dover's images tackle the dark side of nature, the hidden world. Beautifully executed in graphite pencil she shows, man, bird and beast in all its devastating beauty. Inspired by music, poetry and folklore, she tackles subjects, like death, humiliation, and deceit. Particularly focusing on the belief shared in many cultures, that our souls turn in to birds after we die. Her other work depicts characters of cannibalistic crows, humiliated bears and dead sparrows. Since graduating in the summer of 2008, Amy currently divides her time between Art, Illustration and letterpress printing. Contact. www.amydover.com hello@amydover.com
Proserpine Crows are said to be the keepers to the gateway of the underworld. Proserpine was a beautiful Roman Goddess who was captured by Hades and tricked in to eating the seeds of a pomegranate fruit, which bound her to live in the underworld for half of every year. The crow sits waiting to tempt Proserpine to eat the fruit and set her doom. Executed in great detail with graphite pencil to show every hunched feather of this bird, who feeds on the dead. Ebenezer Dover Many different cultures believe when you die your soul turns in to a bird, birds often show human characteristics too. This is a portrait of a proud crow. This bird is my great Grandfather Ebenezer Dover. Humming Bird Moth After studying the Victorian love of collecting, taxidermy, natural history and curios; I drew this insect called a hummingbird moth, which actually looks like a bee, and trapped in under this Victorian domed frame. Creating the illusion that it is under inspection in a microscope. Prowling A lot of my drawings focus on animals, I like to play with proportions and use the paper as the environment. Here a loan wolf stalks across the page, over the creases and imperfections. Drawn with graphite pencil on a page ripped from a Moleskine Journal.
Kristyna Litten is an illustrator currently based in Edinburgh, having studied at the Edinburgh college of Art for three years. Her passion for drawing lies in character development and storytelling, resulting in a strong sense of narrative within her illustrations. Kristyna was shortlisted for the Mcmillan Prize in both 2009 and 2010, recieving highly commended awards both years.
KRISTYNA LITTEN
Contact. miss _ krissy _ @hotmail.com www.cargocollective.com/kristynalitten
Atlas.
Atlas is a picture book designed by Kristyna Litten, was the product of working alongside film director Ryan Braund. The aim of the project was to study adaptation between film and the format of a picture book. Atlas was originally a short animation, which is then adapted into picture book form, whilst continuing to represent Braund’s strongest influences of childhood innocence and curiosity. This adaptation from film to picture book, is a great example of working with others and collaborating to enhance design.
DAVID GALLETLY
David Galletly is a freelance artist, illustrator and graphic designer living and working in Stirling, Scotland. He graduated with a degree in graphic design in 2004. David has exhibited throughout the UK, Europe and the USA. Contact. www.davidgalletly.com davidgalletly@gmail.com
Breakfast Cereals.
From a series of drawings that set out to discover the fantastical in the everyday. Breakfast, usually a sleepy routine, became a strange collection of objects on closer inspection. I discovered map-like patterns and unusual shapes in my cereal bowl. Pen and ink on paper.
SOPHIE WARDEN
Sophie Warden is a talented illustrator, who has recently graduated from Edinburgh School of Art, her dip pen ink style, and use of block colour throughout her work adds a uniquely bold style to her illustrations. Contact. www.sophiewarden.com hello@sophiewarden.com
The Birds of Arg yll is a very personal project to Sophie. It documents her visits to Arg yll and the sights she saw there. Argyll has become an important place to her family over the past two years and she has written and illustrated books that document her time there and all the different birds native to the area. From the mountainous wilderness of Cowal, the rocky coasts of Islay to the sandy plains of Tiree, travelling as a family and recorded what she saw. Sophie draws completely in dip pen and ink and often experiments with block colour through digital methods and screen printing.
VANGELI MOSCHOPOULOS
Vangeli Moschopoulos is an illustrator based in Edinburgh; he has recently graduated from Edinburgh Collage of Art. His work is a balance between contemporary illustration and traditional wood cut prints. Contact. www.cargocollective.com/vanmosco vangelim@hotmail.com
Vangeli Moschopoulos' poster designs for the Don't Panic D&AD 2010 design brief, entitled 'Resistance' truly show off his unique style. Each poster celebrates the actions of an individual, willing to sacrifice comfort, reputation and freedom in the face of an overwhelming, repressive cultural force. To stand true to their convictions, disregarding the fear of retribution that so often suppresses the will to speak out against a regime.
Alexandros Panagoulis — a Greek politician and poet who took an active role in the fight against the despotic military regime that seized power in Greece from 1967–74. At his court-martial in 1968 he refused co-operate, or name his co-conspirators. Speaking to the court he declared — "I know what verdict is in store for me. The most beautiful swan-song of the freedom-fighter is the death rattle in front of the firing squad of a tyranny", A lexandros Panagoulis.
Edward R. Murrow — American broadcast journalist. This poster was designed to reiterate Murrow's 1958 speech that attacked the broadcasting networks for insulating the American public from the harsh realities of the world with a combination of cheap Hollywood thrills, 'cigarettes and automobiles'. "This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires and lights in a box", E dward R. Murrow.
NICOLA O'BYRNE
Nicola's work is about people, community and environment. She takes inspiration from newspaper clippings, documentaries and overheard fragments of everyday conversation, using this information to create editorial based work, children's books and prints. Narrative plays an important role in her work; whether that narrative is a structured story for a children’s book, an ambiguous sequence of events that are open to the interpretation of the viewer, or simply an observed scene documented through a drawing, Nicola ensures each piece tells a story. Contact. www.nicolaobyrne.com nicky.obyrne@gmail.com
The pieces shown here are from a silkscreen printed picture book about fishing. The book was influenced by Shaun Tan’s book — The Arrival, a wordless picture book that deals with complex themes such as immigration, identity and belonging. Nicola wanted to create a story about environmental issues such as sustainable food sources, and our relationships to the places we live and the natural resources we depend on, without being didactic. She uses the juxtaposition between the industrial aspects of trawling and the natural beauty of the sea and the coast to create a story that invites the reader to open a conversation about such issues.
MR OWL
Mr Owl is a street illustrator based in North East, England. He specializes in paste-ups, stickers and some elements of graffiti to form his mark. Not surprisingly Owls and other birds are his specialty, although elements from his life influences his work, help form his work. His work can be seen around various locations in Middlesbrough, Newcastle Upon Tyne and Gateshead. Ampersand predicts his work is soon to fly to other places. Contact. www.owlandtoon.blogspot.com
Defence Tactics Paste–Up, Ousbourne, Newcastle Upon Tyne, 2010.
Mr Malay. Newcastle Upon Tyne, 2010.
Night Owl Honey. Newcastle Upon Tyne, 2010.
MENNA JENKINS
Menna Jenkins is an illustrator currently working for Nomad magazine and The Student (Edinburgh) and has had work published in The Scotsman. Her wor experience includes Science Ltd and the design departments of Animal Clothing, and the National Museum of Scotland. Menna is studying an MA in Fine Art Printmaking at Camberwell College of Art, London.
Contact. www.mennajenkins.com menna@mennajenkins.com
"I like to proof each plate as a relief print by simply rolling over it in black ink and putting it through a litho press, this allows to me examine the print in an analytical manner and helps me to make decisions about colour. For this piece I felt it important to capture the atmosphere created in the story so decided to intaglio print the image in an etching press using multiple colours. I find that printing collagraphs in an etching press captures every tiny detail in the plate, however a plate will only last around 10 prints before starting to fall apart. Although the disintegration of a plate can affect an edition of images, it encourages me to make new plates and explore possibilities of using new materials and techniques". M enna Jenkins
Follow Me. Follow Me is a collaboration between the Illustrator Menna Jenkins and writer Katie Craig. They exchanged work and produced a collograph print for her short story. The story was a descriptive dialogue in an obscure post apocalyptic environment. Using the collagraph technique Menna created a plate from various pieces of card and paper in an attempt to capture the story’s dark atmosphere by using as much texture as possible.
Follow Me by K atie Craig
Red lanterns swing erratically against the blackness advertising Tiger Beer to anybody willing to lift their head to the cold and drizzle of the night. They glow red heart warm just for us as we birl out into the brilliance of the night grinding teeth and hunching shoulders against the cold. Beams of scaffolding slash black against the blue-black sky and the stars, stars, stars as you pull me away from the meemaw and sudden blue bloom of an ambulance light. You pull me from disaster. You stride me, God-like, down the back alley. The road stretches before us, golden streetlights globed with their own halos and my fake fur is wet dog matted. Make up washes down my face. Let it. Our path is illuminated and ours. On either side piles of cars rust into each other and might as well be ancient relics or fossils or dinosaurs. Everything that surrounds us is unwanted. You are soaked to your determined skin, ‘cause when I asked if you wanted a jacket too you said “jackets are for mortals” and your smile was in the walls and my spine and on everyone else’s face. “Come,” you said, just that. Your outstretched hand was a gift, was destiny. I stepped into that shining night a really truly princess stepping from her carriage and the car park pulsed with your chivalry. I will always follow you. Now tall mean buildings lean against the night and unfriendly dogs bark behind boarded doors. There are metal sheets instead of windows. I say “Where are we going?” which makes you human and I’ll always be sorry for that. Your house.” you say, That’s eighteen miles away. “My house” you say. I wince and tell you your flat is about twenty miles in the other direction. It’s dark and there are no friendly taxi lights. The only noise is the rain in the gutters and an angry dog nearby. “I’m cold” you say, small and fragile. There is no shelter and no warm glow. I pull you up the street behind me, feeling the shake of your shivering hand as I try the doors of black closes and cars. I kick against the door of an abandoned caravan until it gives in to my platform boot and I drag you in to it, swaddling us in the curtains and a blanket and whatever I can find. “I love you” you say, then pass out on my shoulder. Your face blossoms warmly in the orange glow of my cigarette. And all over the city bells ring twelve, cheers plume from nearby flats and life is suddenly around us. You snore softly. “Happy New Year” I whisper.
Chapter Three — Photography Showcase —
RICKY ABRAMS
Ricky Abrams is a photographer based in the North East, like many others he shares a love for Cars, and Movies, which often provide the inspiration for his collections.
Contact. www.theclotheswelove.wordpress.com ricky _ abrams@hotmail.com
The golden age of motoring, photography Collection.
These photographs are from a collection, inspired by 60's and 70's road movies and tales of the open highway. The photos are supposed to evoke memories of the golden age of motoring when the whole idea of travel was one of a big adventure. Car design was going into bold new territory and automobiles were so much more individual compared to todays 'carbon-copy' cars. Style ruled supreme whilst ideas of fuel economy were not even thought about. In this period of time life was much more about the journey rather than the destination, Ricky celebrates this idea through these images.
THE KRAKEN
Collaborative Design Showcase The Kraken by A lfred Lord Tennyson, two limited edition hardback books. These books show a sailers experiences with the mythological sea creature 'The Kraken' told through a series of tattoos across an ageing sailers body. The books are printed to the highest quality photographic matte finish, with screen printed endpapers, and french fold book bind, each inner fold of the page carries the screen print pattern. The Kraken is the collaborative work of five designers: M att E llwood, Sean Mc L eod, Simon Walvin, Holly Webster and Kyle Cummings. To see more visit: www.mattellwood.co.uk mattellwood@gmail.com
The Kraken by Alfred Lord Tennyson.
Below the thunders of the upper deep; far, far beneath in the abysmal sea, His ancient, dreamless, uninvaded sleep the Kraken sleepeth: faintest sunlights flee About his shadowy sides: above him swell huge sponges of millennial growth and height; and far away into the sickly light, for many a wonderous grot and secret cell Uncumbered and enourmous polypi winnow with giant arms the slumbering green. There hath he lain for ages, and will lie battening upon huge sea-worms in his sleep, Until the latter fire shall hear the deep; Then once by man and angels to be seen, in roaring he shall rise and on the suface die.
JAMES RICHARD PROROK
Without Libraries.
Without Libraries We Have No Past & No future – Victoria Library, it was once a house of knowledge, stories and information. Now no longer deemed essential, it is now weathered and broken, cracked, neglected and locked. In 1953, Ray Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451; set in a dystopian future where critical thinking through reading is outlawed and all books are burned. In a world where television reigns supreme, human culture devolves "Without Libraries what have we? We have no past and no future" R ay Bradbury 1953.
The Collective
The Ampersand Collective is a collective collaborative design piece;composed from the Edition One participants who have pooled their creativity working together to create a single design piece. 'Great things can be achieved when people come together'. It was this thought that inspired the overall theme 'many hands make light work' for the ampersand collective. Throughout Ampersand Edition One — each designers section can be found in there design showcase. The ampersand collective was created, then dissected, and divided up to a range of graphic designers, illustrators and photographers. Each designer was asked to be creative with there sections, and design something which shows off their style, inspired by the theme of 'Many Hand Make Light Work'. And after all the pieces were put back together, this is what was formed.
The Ampersand Collective: Chris Wilson Matt Ellwood Jennifer Madden Tom Peet James Richard Prorok Simon Walvin Holly Webster Amy Dover Kristyna Litten David Galletly Sophie Warden Vangeli Moschopoulous Nicola O'Byran Mr Owl Menna Jenkins Richard Abrams Sean McLeod
Edition One
The Directory
Chris Wilson — hellochriswilson@gmail.com www.chriswilsondesign.co.uk
Sophie Warden — www.sophiewarden.com hello@sophiewarden.com
Matt Ellwood — www.mattellwood.co.uk mattellwood@gmail.com
Vangeli Moschopoulos — www.cargocollective.com/vanmosco vangelim@hotmail.com
Jennifer Madden — www.jennifermadden.co.uk jennifer.madden@unn.ac.uk
Nicola O'Byrne — www.nicolaobyrne.com nicky.obyrne@gmail.com
Tom Peet — www.tompeet.co.uk tom@tompeet.co.uk
Mr Owl — www.owlandtoon.blogspot.com
James Richard Prorok — www.jamesrp.com jrprorok@gmail.com Graphic Design Twenty Ten — www.graphicdesign2010.com www.degreeshowtwentyten.blogspot.com Amy Dover — www.amydover.com hello@amydover.com Kristyna Litten — miss _ krissy _ @hotmail.com www.cargocollective.com/kristynalitten David Galletly — www.davidgalletly.com davidgalletly@gmail.com
Menna Jenkins — www.mennajenkins.com menna@mennajenkins.com Ricky Abrams — www.theclotheswelove.wordpress.com ricky _ abrams@hotmail.com Simon Walvin — www.simonwalvin.blogspot.com sjw89@hotmail.co.uk Holly Webster — www.hollywebster.co.uk hihollywebster@gmail.com
This publication is type set using LaPolice BP, Calson, Plantin, Aksidenz Grotsque. — Designed and Printed in 2010 by Matt Ellwood.