This is me working hard. There’ll be lots of new and exciting updates. Really good stuff. I just have to finish a few things. The Reluctant Protagonist has gone off the scale. My Tee shirt and Sweatshirt Design are now global. The James Jarvis Illustration on the reverse obviously helped. Name checking Liverpool’s Lost Art was also a massive draw. Pop Girl, Rhianna wants one, but she won’t promise to keep her clothes on, so there’s no chance.
More to follow. Peace and Love
Divergent Dialogues is a series of talks / events hosted by LJMU & University Liverpool – entitled: The Elusive Edge. Massive thanks goes to Nicola Headlam from University Liverpool and Kerry Wilson ICC who funded the project.
I was involved in the first part – The Reluctant Protagonist. A talk about Skateboarding, Creativity and Cultural Cache with super Illustrator James Jarvis and Dave Mackey owner of Liverpool’s finest skateboard shop Lost Art. The event was attended by a Graphic Design and Ilustration students / Fashion Students / Skaters and groups of very clever academic types. The so fresh Bold Street Coffee provided their best coffee and stuffs, which put everyone in a really good mood. James Jarvis supplied one of his class Illustrations for the poster. I also used it on the reverse of a limited edition t shirt + sweatshirt – produced specially for the evening. A few lucky peeps got these for free. I designed the text & calligraphy graphic that sit on the front.
I always preferred footy to skateboarding,Tried it once, but fell off and scuffed my trainers. Skaters wear cooler clothes – so, I faked it, for the evening.
These are my drawings for the latest edition of ******* ***** .The book is still at the proof and publishers stage, so I can’t give it my normal Big Up / Mike O Shouts. All you need to know is, it’s become a classic work about Theory and Practice. It also features my work, which is an added bonus. I was asked to produce a series of sketches / portraits of cultural theorists and philosophers – Foucault / Barthes / Delueuze / Derrida + Charles Pierce and Ferdinand De Saussure. Michel Foucault was definitely the snappiest dresser. Gilles Deleuze let himself down with his penchant for terrible hats.
Jacques Derrida and his pipe won the vote as Mr French Fresh.
Here are a number character designs I created for a new British Shirt Label. At the moment, it’s a little hush hush. There is a team of killer ninjas protecting the shirt prototype. They’ve chosen a different direction for the label. But I’m not too upset, I’m still quite happy with the nostalgic vibe. The drawing style is inspired by my collection of Penrose Albums. Soon to follow – the invasion of the cultural theorists. Saussure / Derrida / Foucault / Pierce / Deleuze and Barthes. All players and major wordsmiths. Believe.
2014 is over.The was my Christmas Vibe. I’ve been asked by Kofi Annan to try and end war and hate. I designed and printed these sweatshirts for my beautiful nieces and super cool nephews. The Uppercase X is Cooper Black, designed by Oswald Bruce Cooper in 1921. I’m thinking of rolling out this message across Bootle and The Middle East
The girl in the photo is my gorgeous niece, Gina ‘Binny Moggs’ Morrissey. She has recently returned from studying in Chile. Gina was definitely the coolest person in Santiago, but by all accounts, that wasn’t hard.
I’ve been off the blog radar recently. Falling on my arse in the middle of Hope Street and cracking a rib, hasn’t helped.
This is my collection of rulers. I’ve become a little obsessed with grids and straight lines. Although I’m a fan of Muller Brockmann, you’d hardly call me a Swiss Modernist. If this is your thing, check out the super classy publishers Unit Editions and Wim Crouwel: A Graphic Odyssey.
My latest ruler acquisition is this rare A W Faber Bavarian wooden ruler from the 1940’s. It has a beautiful inlaid metal edge. I don’t use it much – I just stare at it.
I normally spend my summers dj’ing in Ibiza. Hanging with Itchy Spender, Fizzy Gaskell and all those other very cool peeps. This was my summers biggest tune. An old Decca recording bought in Oxfam, Crosby. A great combination of Illustrated text and image from the German Illustrator and Musician, Gerhard Hoffnung. The typeface is designed by the psychedelic 1960’s artist Victor Moscoso.
These aren’t my summer photographs. This a set of photographs from a great antique / junk shop in St John’s Road Waterloo. I bought the whole album. It’s someones life. The photographs belong to the dude in the hat, staring back at the camera. Between the wars. The Cathedral is Duomo Di Milano. It’s one of the largest Gothic Cathedrals in the World. St.Johns Road is a million miles from Milan.
Artist Teachers Workshop: Non Calligraphy / SuperDudeyWords
For two days this summer, I worked with a group of Art Teachers from schools in the North West of England. Katie Musgrove / Ged Doolan / David McDowell / Gill Hislop / Christopher Eplett / Emma Sullivan / Andrea Mackintosh / Liz Shelbourne / Hannah West. All the staff had different undergraduate degrees.
The teachers were asked to choose and worked from selected text – A Midsummer Night’s Dream; William Shakespeare / Late Fragment; Raymond Carver / Judy is a Punk; The Ramones. The group produced a single large format publication and a film documenting the event and book. For the eagle eyed amongst you, the cool, older fella in black is me. One aspect of the day was working on my SuperDudeyWords project – using my custom made writing pens. Non of the teachers were sent out of class or given lines.
Technical support from the Liverpool School of Art & Design – Super A Team; Andy Freeney + Caros Santos .
Music was a little known Chicago Acid House track, my Sweatshirt was by Cahartt
The event was organised by Sandra Hiatt – More words to follow.
This is a short film of my Perfume and Drawing publication. It’s hardly a classic like Taxi Driver, Citizen Kane or, the all time great, Porky’s III. I’m working on another film, which will be much much better.
My Latest favourite scent is Frederic Malle for Dries Van Noten. Etat Libre D’Orange is a new Perfume House and the winner of the Perfume range with the best names – Malaise of The 1970’s and Fat Electrician.
Music: Angela Hewitt / Bach Toccatta in E Minor.
Small hairy folk hands: MOS
