Gert Dumbar established the studio in 1977. Their work is known internationally, and has lead to awards such as their latest European Design Award and Merit in 2008. Although clearly routed in the Netherlands, they have on average 5 different nationalities working in their staff of 30.
Source: Studio Dumbar
The Breeder in collaboration with Fizz Gallery present the first solo exhibition of street artist b. entitled "Missing Text". (18 June - 18 July 2009)
The concept of the exhibition is based on a book that the artist has made and is exhibited inside a wooden construction, a house, installed outside the gallery on Valaoritou street. "Missing Text" is according to the artist everything laying underneath the symbols and figures regularly depicted in his works and at the same time anything that cannot be written on walls.
b.'s yellow and black figures have taken over the urban landscape of the city of Athens. Mermaids, girls with anchor tattoos on their arms, colorful hamburgers and humanlike octopuses constitute the universe of b. and come to life on the walls and broken windows of abandoned houses.
The artist views the city as an open studio, as a big canvas without limits where his creatures are winking playfully to the viewers and challenge them to discover the b. world.
The exhibition "Missing Text" reveals the user's guide to the artist's own universe. The skilfully drawn book is the artistic manifesto of b. and acts as a time machine that travels the viewer to the yellow and black world of the artist. The ticket is a yellow metal key, hanging inside the gallery.The first room of the exhibition is taken over by seven symbolic figures (acrylic on rusted metal), which resemble b.'s army. Each one bears a symbol of b.‘s work such as a watering pot, an oil flag, a purse, a flower, a book or a fish.
Other works on canvas and wood are also exhibited and of course b.'s characteristic octopus and hamburger figures are also present, along with a series of nine portraits of yellow skin ladies each one of them with a different spectacular hat.
In a world where everything is fast, flashing before our eyes with the speed of light, in a city full of isolated individuals, tall buildings, and full of cars honking, corporate logos, religious symbols and team emblems, b. has succeeded in capturing our attention! We stop in front of his wall paintings, and throw a sweet smile at the girl with the yellow dress standing before us.
Source: interview & text by Marcia Argyriades for Yatzer
30 June 2009 //// Alida Sayer won a Best New Blood Award for work which she displayed at the D&AD New Blood 2009 exhibition.
When did your journey in the magical word of letters begin?
I began working with type only about a year ago, during the final stages of my Visual Communication Design degree at the Glasgow School of Art. I specialised in Illustration, enjoying the creative freedom that it allowed, but found it difficult to work according to narrative traditions and more experimental projects were often left unresolved. I discovered that typography provided the perfect formal framework from which to 'hang' my ideas. It allowed my imagination to run wild whilst still retaining a layer of universally recognisable information.
What was your initial source of inspiration?
I had been working with layered images for quite some time, but the introduction of typographic elements came later. I think it was a combination of sources that inspired me to pursue this route. Most significantly was my proper introduction to the letterpress, and the realisation of it's immense potential for my own working methods. I enjoyed approaching a process so closely tied to the tradition of graphic design as someone with a more illustrative way of thinking. I was also very inspired by the somewhat coincidental and timely discovery of a world of illustrative and experimental typography whilst researching illustration and visual design in general. Most notably, however, was a London exhibition by Sam Winston and the work of Edwin Pickstone, a typographic designer also working in the case room at my art school. The intricacy and skill of their work is both staggering and beautiful.
Any favorite designers that have influenced your work?
I am influenced by all manners of art, craft and design, but a few do spring to mind. Namely the complex hanging installation art work of Cornelia Parker, the music videos and charming hand-drawn animations of Michel Gondry, Stefan Sagmeister's bizarre typography and the diverse range career of Thomas Heatherwick - whose christmas cards to my father were a source of annual inspiration and envy!
Please tell us a bit about your future projects and plans.
I fully intend to continue my exploration of typographic design, whether it be alone or as part of a studio, as I feel it is something that I am only just beginning to really get to grips with. I would love to make pieces on a much larger scale - so that they can become even more interactive, something you could walk right into!
The key to truly forward thinking design is to harness both the capabilities of digital technology and the important lessons we learn from traditional materials and processes and combine them using our own unique creative personality.
Source: interview & text by Katerina Biliouri for Yatzer
