PETER SAVILLE: THE UK’S MOST FAMOUS GRAPHIC DESIGNER

IDENTICA VISITS:PETER SAVILLE IN CONVERSATION WITH PAUL MORLEY

Identica’s CEO Richard Morris, this week visited the V&A for the opening evening of the Global Design Forum.

The headline event saw Britain’s most celebrated graphic designer, Peter Saville in conversation with design critic and commentator, Paul Morley.

The Global Design Forum is an annual event triumphing thought leadership from the world of design.

This is an insight into that conversation documented by Richard. A series of key thoughts and stories thrown out from the V&A discussion.

Peter Saville is an artist and designer whose contribution to culture, especially in Britain has been unique.

Throughout his early art-directing days, Saville accessed a mass audience through the sub-cultures of pop music. This is best exemplified in a series of record sleeve artworks for Joy Division and New Order throughout the eighties.

As co-founder of Factory Records, he cites the company’s idealism, rather than any commercial objective allowed him to communicate ideas, aesthetics and ultimately values to an audience he cherished.

Saville’s achievements were celebrated in 2003 at London’s Design Museum, at a show entitled, The Peter Saville Show. The show later travelled to Manchester and Tokyo.

A GRAPHIC DESIGNER

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IDENTICACHRONICLES

The V&A Museum was just one of the venues for this years Global Design Forum but was the setting for Saville’s and Morley’s forum discussion.

Ironically, Saville had been at Pentagram while they were crafting the V&A identity and mentioned it was designed as a mark rather than a branding solution to be commercially implemented.

Saville arrived at Pentagram in 1990 but found it hard to settle. He mentioned that the designers had turned into businessmen and that many people didn’t understand him there.

Saville is notorious for having an unconventional work ethic. He believes that he is constantly working and that 9.30am to 6pm can be a noose.

Many projects over the years have been subject to Saville’s fluid time keeping and intermittent work appearances.

THE V&A

MANCHESTER MAN

Peter Saville couldn’t be more proud of his hometown of Manchester. He wears his cityon his sleeve which is why, in 2004, he becamethe official Creative Director of the City of Manchester.

Not only does this mean he plays a role in implimenting design systems, he also has a voice in economic regeneration, urban planning and cultural renaissance.

Saville comments upon how London has now become a city state and that Manchester has become the de facto capital of the UK. He says other regional cities can all benefit.

AUTHENTICITY

A large discussion point of the forum surrounded authenticity in design, and how Saville defines it.

He simply defines it as doing something you believe without compromise.

He believes that brands that have an authenticity are the ones that have people at their core who care about what they are doing, to the extent that they are obsessed.

Similarly, Saville says that he can only create work that feels genuine to him.

FACTORY RECORDSFactory Records was a Manchester based label founded by Alan Erasmus and Tony Wilson in 1978. The first poster and album from Factory were created by Saville, sparking a long relationship.

Saville speaks very highly of his time at the label. He felt the culture aloud him to express his creativity in the same way the bands could.

Saville believes that designers can create average work but if the album is a hit, it becomes iconic.

POP CULTUREDue to his successes in the music sub-cultures, Saville himself became a brand. With this fame came larger bands and labels looking to have a slice of Saville.

Saville went on to do work for Pet Shop Boys, George Michael, Ultravox, Suede and Wham to name a few. Saville mentions he wasn’t adverse to the world of pop music.

He says that pop music is the only common cultural experience that the majority of children share for around 10 years.

“PAST IT”

FASHION “FASHION IS DIFFICULT IF YOU’RE NOT GAY. I WASN’T GAY ENOUGH.”

Saville moved from graphic design into fashion in the 1990’s with his first collaboration with Mandarina Duck, the bag and luggage designer.

Saville has gone on to work with Christian Dior, Stella McCartney, Yohji Yamamoto and John Galliano along with the English FA.

Most recently, Saville has worked with Lacoste. The brand gave him a free reign but told him he couldn’t change their logo. So that’s all he did...created 80 new crocodile marks. He said he was suprised when they absolutely loved them.

LONDON DESIGN MEDAL WINNER

Now in its seventh year, the London Design Medal is awarded annually by a panel of judges to an individual for their contribution to design.

Saville mentioned that he had a renewed inspiration from a new generation of London design firms, who all took inspiration from his 1980’s work. These firms then fed him with inspiration.

Saville recognises that he himself has become a brand. He mentions that brands now invite him to do what he wants regardless of the medium or his understanding of it.

KANYE WEST?

THANK YOU

A lot of press after the Global Design Forum conversation highlighted that Saville will now be designing a new logo for Kanye West.

Apart from him mentioning the project he in no way said he was going to work with West but said he always likes to meet the people who want to meet with him.

20/09/2013Copyright Identica Ltd 2013 ©