Hitsville UK: punk in the faraway towns

This was an exhibition of UK punk rock record sleeve design across the period 1976-1984, and consisted of a wide range of record sleeves grouped by punk and post punk sub-genres, and a large format exhibition timeline mapping the chronology and geography of the graphic evolution of punk within this timeframe, using seven inch single sleeves as a representative case study for analysis. This was accompanied by a range of interactive and sound installations allowing users to view the production details of each sleeve and to hear the music on the records. The research consisted of a detailed analysis of ‘quintessentially punk artefacts’, the seven-inch ‘picture’ record sleeves associated with UK Punk. New perspectives on their production and their graphic characteristics including any recurring visual tropes or pictorial devices and the use of a DIY aesthetic were created. The period covered was c.1976-1984. Two important aspects of the research methodology were, firstly, to consider the graphic design of the record sleeves through the prism of the complex sub-cultural codes that were characteristic of UK Punk at this period and, secondly, to view these graphic artefacts as indissoluble from the UK Punk’s musical language. An additional feature of the research was the mapping of the diaspora of UK Punk form London, Manchester and other large cities to ‘the faraway towns’ by means of a visual matrix that demonstrated a widening geographic spread of seven-inch single production during much of period. The exhibitions which were slightly different in each venue, celebrated the wide range of graphic approaches adopted and redressed the balance of recent punk accounts which focus on the short-lived activities of UK Punk’s early years. Together with the visual matrix and real-size reproductions of a wide range of graphic material, the research resulted in an exhibition catalogue package that included three reversible posters, and an interactive web-based resource which links the seven-inch sleeve to its key musical track

Spin/3 Magazine: Action Time Vision

Collaboration with London design group Spin, with contributing essays by Russ Bestley and Malcolm Garrett, on the subject of punk graphic design. Published as large format newspaper in plastic slipcase

Tales From The Punkside

Book design for 'Tales From The Punkside', second edition: a punk anthology of independent writing and artwork

We’re So Bored With London, Wayne Daly in conversation with Russell Bestley, Parts 1 & 2

Interview discussion with Wayne Daly on the subject of UK punk singles

Visual Research: An Introduction to Research Methodologies in Graphic Design

"Visual Research: An Introduction to Research Methodologies in Graphic Design" is a guide to the practice of researching for graphic design projects. This book explains the key terms and theories that underlie design research; examining the importance of audience, communication theory, semiotics and semantics. It features a range of case studies that demonstrate how the use of rigorous research methods can form the basis of effective visual communication and design problem solving, eschewing end product analysis for a discussion of the way research feeds into the design process. Synopsis of Chapter 1: The Role of Research in Graphic Design. Research methodologies for graphic design is a broad field which encompasses a wide range of practical and theoretical applications. This chapter introduces the field of design research as both an analytical and a practical tool for graphic designers, and establishes the role of critical thinking as a support to the development of an engaged design practice. The primary theoretical models of design analysis are also introduced, including semiotics, communication theory, systematic approaches, semantics and discourse theory, and their relevance to the wider graphic design profession established. The emphasis here is on why we do what we do and how we can be sure it is effective, through testing, feedback and rigorous approaches to design. The second edition includes twelve new international case studies, end of chapter exercises, a new chapter on Visual Grammar and a foreword by Ellen Lupton, an internationally renowned graphic designer, writer, curator and educator

Design it Yourself? Punk’s Division of Labour

Punk’s do-it-yourself call to arms led to a widespread adoption of the rhetoric, if not always the practice, of independence from traditional means of production. During the early period of punk’s development in the United Kingdom, a distinct division of labour can be seen in the impact of an ‘anyone can do it’ DIY ethos on a range of activities. These range from live performance to the creation and manufacture of punk artifacts (clothes, posters, flyers, fanzines, records). While some of these areas offered new opportunities for amateur producers, within more technical areas of manufacturing, including the physical production of records, do-it-yourself could only have a nominal impact. Many punk groups did not have access to sound recording technologies, and even if they did, they would have to hand over the cutting and pressing of vinyl to a professional outfit. There was certainly a widespread and outspoken desire to take artistic control away from mainstream sources, but in reality the ownership of the means of production was at best a naive ambition. Similarly, sleeve artwork could be created by untrained designers, but print reproduction was often left to the services of a professional print studio - doing-it-yourself had obvious limitations when it came to large-scale production and distribution

Where Have All the Bootboys Gone? Skinhead Style and Graphic Subcultures

Exhibition of Skinhead graphics, including print material and photographs from the archives of Toby Mott, Gavin Watson and Toast. Limited edition Riso catalogue published, including essays by Garry Bushell, Tom Vague, Matt Worley, Shaun Cole, Russ Bestley and Ana Raposo

South Specific 2020

South Specific 2020 CD album cover and booklet, Brain Boosters Music. 3CD compilation of post-punk and DIY music from Portsmouth, 1980 and 2020. Limited edition of 1000, proceeds to Tonic music and mental health charity, Brain Boosters BBM010. November 2020

Hitsville UK: Punk rock and graphic design in the faraway towns, 1976-84

This research has two primary aims, both of which relate to a study of graphic design methods within the field of popular culture. The first aim is to identify the visual codes which appear in the sleeve designs of a broad selection of UK punk seven inch singles released between 1976 and 1984, and to analyse these in relation to a number of different punk sub-genres and audience groups. Sleeves are mapped stylistically, geographically and chronologically to show the evolution of a range of distinct design strategies and the diasporic effect on the development of punk in the wider regions of the UK. The documentation of these graphic traits reveals the ways in which distinct patterns within punk’s visual language evolved and eventually became entrenched over time. The second aim is the development of a transferable, theoretical and practical method for characterising the formal properties of a range of graphic material. A number of print-based and interactive visual matrices accompany the written thesis, as a key component of the research methodology. In this way, the relationship between graphic design, time and place, and audience is made clear, while the interactive display allows for a more complex range of textual information to be shown, along with the opportunity to review links between sound and visual form. Visual material extended from this research was exhibited successfully in Southampton, London and Blackpool during the spring and summer of 2007, and a number of public talks were given by the author. The major contribution to new knowledge and understanding is in the development of an analytical methodology that has focused on punk graphics but which could be adapted to the study of other graphic artefacts related to visual manifestations of youth culture in the late 20th century and beyond