The work of the late Barney Bubbles is to be celebrated in PROCESS, an exhibition taking place in September as part of the London Design Festival.
PROCESS will focus on bringing to light Bubbles’ actual working practices, showcasing “original artefacts and artwork, as well as personal sketchbooks, equipment and student notebooks, books and photography relating to [his] stunning designs for record sleeves, posters, advertising and videos for the likes of Billy Bragg, Elvis Costello, The Damned, Ian Dury, Hawkwind, Nick Lowe, The Specials and many others.”
As well as myriad sketches and proofs for never released designs, PROCESS features such curios as a rug based on Bubbles’ design for Billy Bragg’s Brewing Up LP and a previously unseen 7ft Chuck Berry mobile sculpture creative for a private client.
Barney Bubbles (1942-83), born Colin Fulcher, was one of 20th century graphic design’s most visionary minds. He is best known for his punk and new wave record sleeve designs of the late 70s and early 80s, many the result of his association with Stiff Records. His colourful, slyly humorous and symbollically loaded cover art from that era still packs a hefty punch today.
The PROCESS show is curated by Paul Gorman, author of the Bubbles monograph, Reasons To Be Cheerful. It runs over the period September 14 – October 23 at Chelsea Space, Chelsea College Of Art & Design, 16 John Islip Street, London SW1P 4JU. More info here.
To learn more about Barney Bubbles and check out a range of his designs online, click here.
