The Alan Fletcher exhibition at Design Museum in London finishes on 18 February 2007. I would recommend in the strongest possible terms that anyone connected with visual communications visit this outstanding show. I think it was organhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifised before his death in September 2006 but it has become a more poignant reflection on his career, his time in Spain, Italy and New York and indirectly the rise of the Design Agency.
As one of the Godfathers of graphic design in the UK, being a founding father of Pentagram, he has been responsible for some timeless work over the past 40 years. (The Reuters logo looks like it was produced yesterday, not in 1965). He always maintained a at the world around him, often using a pen or a pencil in the final artwork, and his work retains an authenticity which seems to be missing from much graphic design in this century. The calendars he designed, often with little more than a few lines and a dash of colour, were indicative of the simple wordplay (and fun) he reveled in.
As a lazy father I was extremely envious of the models he created with his grandson whilst on holiday, and it was fascinating to see his studio/home in Notting Hill so full of energy and ideas. We spent our journey home discussing open plan live/work apartments....
Other than the work, his legacy includes the book 'The Art of looking Sideways' which was published in 2001 by Phaidon. A book with out any linear structure, it groups quotes, emphemera and ideas in broad categories such as Noise, Mutation and Taste. Possibly the ultimate volume of inspiration, it is initially difficult to get to grips with the informal structure. But once you understand that you don't start at the beginning, it slowly unfolds it's treats - questioning the notion of Europe and America being positioned geographically 'higher' than Africa, and therefore creating a visual representation of the world upside down.
Be quick, it may change your life.
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