In a new series for B365, we'll be chatting to up and coming artists who are taking design to new heights. First up is Luke Standing, who is perhaps better known as one of the promoters behind Bristol's premier dubstep night SeasonFive, as well as being a incredible producer and DJ. Luke is an emerging talent who has already been responsible for some key work in the Bristol dubstep community, and is quickly developing into one to watch for the future. We caught up with the man himself recently for a chat.

B: Good Evening sir, how are you tonight?

L: Very good thank you, another day done in the office and excited about the weekend!

B: LOL. What's new in the world of Luke Seasonfive at the moment?

L: Well we've just had our Hessle Audio feature at the Tube gone past from Saturday, a nice introduction to the new student clubbing. We had Untold and Pangaea playing for extended sets, it went down very well indeed - lots of people, good vibes, good music! Just finishing the programming for the rest of the year and the start of next year. I'm currently working for a design studio called Halo in Bristol at the mo which is going well, lots of exciting projects which I'm enjoying a lot.

B: Does it leave you much time for personal projects now?

L: Ummm, in some ways yes and no. I'm also working freelance, but I've been quiet picky about what things I will undertake. I still have time to keep on top of things in the design world!

B: Where does your love of design originate from? Is it something that's always intrigued you from growing up, or have you come to it relatively late?

L: I suppose it's been a natural thing in my life from when I was very young. It sounds weird, but I used to love to draw despite my strengths being in other places now. I guess when I first got into stuff like that it was when I won an art competition when I was 7 and won a crayola set lol! I even used to keep a pencil and paper under my bed.

Since then, I undertook on creative subjects like art and graphics (more like packaging design) at secondary school and then photography and art at A-level. That's when I first started to use Photoshop. As well as this, I used to write graffiti pieces in legalised areas in Brighton. The aspect of image manipulation really excited me, and it was very motivating in the progression of learning computer design.

B: So the potential with platforms like Photoshop and Illustrator became a progressive step to where you are now. Without software would you still consider yourself an artist though? I feel there's a lot of people who rely solely on computer design whom lack some of the understanding more traditional artists might bring to a project.

L: I would still consider myself as a designer and artist regardless of what platform or media in which I work. I guess in a way programs like Photoshop, Indesign and Illustrator have allowed me to free my hand of weakness. These tools are often interfaces which I use on a daily basis and are what is often happening right now for me in the majority of projects in which i work with, but it is also a means to an end in a way with design nowadays. It's the most efficient way of producing artwork.

However, I do very much appreciate the different qualities of using tradition ways like type-setting and screen printing. I have used these methods of producing work successfully. Much of my work during my degree was based on screen printing and laser cutting. I believe there is a right method for every project.








Seasonfive Brand Identity, 2009

B: Speaking of which let's chat about some of your own work. Seasonfive has had a very strong visual look from day one, which seems to fit the musical content extremely well. Over the years we've seen a definitive evolution in the pieces you've created for the night. What was your thinking behind the concept for this?

L: I think a strong branding concept behind anything visual is the key to success. I wanted to create a look which people could relate to and would compliment the music of the events. The look and feel of these designs has been a learning progression of myself as a designer as well. I'm always trying to create something better than before. It's like a challenge within myself. It's great to see people recognize and appreciate the artwork for SeasonFive. It's really important to me that SeasonFive has a strong visual aesthetic and continues to do so.

B: You've also been responsible for working with Hyetal both in a musical and visual vein. The branding you created for him feels like an extension of the SeasonFive aesthetic, would you agree?

L: I think Hyetal has his own image as an individual artist, however I can see how people can relate Hyetal and Seasonfive visually. As Seasonfive, we have helped support his own achievements and provided an extra platform for him in the Bristol clubbing scene. I have helped develop designs and ideas in which he had initially, and helped encourage how he presents himself as an artist in someways. We're very proud to see how much he has achieved and he has our full support.






Hyetal Brand Identity, 2009

B: The Hyetal triangular logo has been widely used now in lieu of a press shot. What was your thinking behind that piece as a brand?

L: The abstract triangle shape was actually found by Hyetal. He came to me and asked me to create it. I simply recreated the image digitally and styled it appropriately. I'm glad people like it. I think its very suited to his music and his personality. Good find Hyetal!

B: Geometric shapes, geometric music! Similar in concept to your work on Morality In The 21st Century...

L: Umm...yes! Basically, Morality in the 21st Century was a project which I undertook whilst completing my degree. It's more about statistical information or data being visualized based on opinions of a group of people under subjects which are current world issued.




Morality in the 21st Century, 2009

B: Why did you choose that as a subject to visualise?

L: I think world issues have always interested me. I think I'm very responsive of certain topics in which we live with. Seeing as I had already chosen the subject matter of "conflict" to base my work around, I felt it was the right choice to look wider into world issues. It was very motivating as a project base and I felt it could have a strong relationship in a graphic form.

B: And contrast and conflict are major motivators in your work? Horizons is another piece incorporating contrast...

L: Yes I think conflict generally has a strong image whether it may be working just simply with black and white. For this project, I wrote a piece of music which reflected my current music interests. I tried to express light and dark tones within certain sounds which was really stripped back and represented those two elements alone.

I then graphically visualized the track along a time line using shapes to represent sounds over the space of time. Alongside this piece, I developed the design right through to the end, resulting in a full product which incorporated designs on the sleeves of the record which were cut on vinyl and a supporting poster. The packaging and branding of the product was taken in to consideration with the music, with detailing of laser cutting and screen printing.





Horizons 'A Conflict Of Light & Dark', 2009

B: Was this just created as a mock-up or an actual product?

L: Well this was actually a one off! However the track has now been signed to a label called Project Squared, and should see a release in mid-December if not early next year. There are discussions of replicating a limited amount of copies for sale from the label but this is still in contemplation as the production costs would be very high.

B: Music is an integral part of your creative outlook, both as a designer and a producer. Would you like to design for record labels and so on?

L: Yeah I find music and design both equally inspirational. When I get the chance to combine the two is when i find an equilibrium, Horizons being a perfect example of this. Designing artwork for labels does interest me and I would be happy to undertake the right projects. I even have plans to start my own label in some time in the future.

B: Under the Seasonfive brand?

L: We'll see..it would be interesting to start a new project with a new image also, so we will see!



Accept & Proceed Light Calendar, 2009

B: LOL fair enough! So let's talk about your influences. Accept and Proceed factor quite highly in your inspiration...

L: Yes definitely, they have been an agency I've had my eye on for a while now. I was really inspired by them typographically alongside another agency called Build. But their information graphics have been an initial drive for me to experiment myself.

B: Do you draw influence from less immediate factors? Your work is very reminiscent of Peter Saville's early work...

L: Yep I love Peter Saville, its weird you have picked up on that! In fact I have the Unknown Pleasures cover poster in my room. The monochrome approach and very airy negative space with simple type is very appealing to me. I wouldn't be surprised if Accept & Proceed have been very inspired themselves, as I can see references and similarities in their work. Its easy to pick up on things that are visual which you are exposed to.



Peter Saville, 1979

B: Something that seems a recurrent theme in your work, and the work of others you find inspiring, is product. Does the potential of the art of the commodity, the consumable, fascinate you?

L: It's always possible to re-contextualize existing imagery for your own means. Part of the progression with art in general today is to re-innovate and pioneer new means to design using existing forms and given them a different purpose and meaning. However I don't feel this is solely my design ethic and I'm still interested in developing original pieces which create their own context.

B: But the lines I feel between artistic disciplines are irrevocably blurred now - it seems all aesthetics are bled into the mainstream of commerce. How do you see yourself as standing out as an artist, how do you find your voice in an increasingly over-populated market?

L: I like that art has got many cross references now. Obviously it is difficult to find an individual voice in such an over-populated sea. I think that the best way is to follow your own vision. This is not to say that I'm not influenced by work that's come before me, but i would say that as an artist I will try to create an individual space by representing myself as a person and reflecting my interests and life experiences within my work.

B: So what does the immediate future hold for you? What have you got lined up over the next few months?

L: Obviously continuing the brand development of Seasonfive. Working at Halo in Bristol is allowing me expand my knowledge and understanding of graphic design, and is really benefiting me with commercial experience. The idea of starting a label is a future possibility too. Spending more time in the studio making music. The main thing though is to focus on developing myself as a graphic designer.

B: A development that is going well already! Well that wraps up things for tonight, anything you'd like to add?

L: Just to say thanks very much for your interest in my work and taking the time to interview me. I really enjoyed answering the questions its nice to talk about the concepts to give people a better idea where it comes from!

B: No worries, thank you for agreeing to do it!

FFI : Luke Standing Online Portfolio

We're having a bit of an artistic love-in here at BUG this week it seems, and so what better way to wrap up this winter week with a chat to one of Bristol's most prominent and inspirational artists Andy Council.

Andy's work has a very direct synergy with the city itself; his artwork can incorporate the minute detail of Bristolian life in the guise of fantastic creatures that draw you into the intricacies of their creation. With such a unique and innovative style his work and time is always in demand, and BUG always looks forward to seeing what he'll create next.


B: For the obvious starter - Where does the name Andy Council originate?

A: Haha! That's quite funny as the origin of my name is.....that it is my real name! I have had people ask me before if it is a pseudonym, kind of like a graff name or a punk name like Sid Vicious or something. I always got called Andy Council house at school. This sort of suits my work in a way as I draw lots of little houses in my pieces quite a lot. The best piss take on my name recently was when someone called me 'Andy Council Estate Of Mind' after the Skinny Man album.

B: What drew you into illustration originally? Where did it all begin?

A: Since I was little I have always enjoyed drawing and ended up helping other kids out at school with drawings for their projects in exchange for sweets and to be in their gangs and stuff, so guess it started there really. Art was the main thing I put my effort into studying at school and I always knew that I wanted to do something creative as my job.

I went to art college and then on to study Animation at Bournemouth as the course was based around lots of drawing work. I thought I would be able to find lots of work in that industry when I graduated, but I didn't find many places hiring at that time. Perhaps it was something to do with the shift over to computer animation at that time (this was way back in 97 - I'm a bit old). I spent quite a bit of time then being on the dole or doing crap jobs. I was desperate to get out of that situation and keep on doing drawing work so started volunteering illustration work to local charity organisations. I started to get a few quid here and there for this and very slowly things started to build up. I then realised that illustrating stuff for people could work out as being the thing for me to do.





B: You bring an incredibly intricate flair to your work, how has that evolved over the years into the style it is today?

A: I've always been a fan of detailed drawings in kids books by people like Richard Scary to graphic novel art by artists such as Geoff Darrow. Taking influence from these sources and others my drawings have long had a high level of intricacy to them.

Some of my first illustration opportunities in Bristol came from The Recycling Consortium and required me to draw lots of tiny rubbish and recyclable items. The project that I was given by them that really helped shape my style was when I was asked to draw a monster made out of rubbish called 'Scrapzilla'. From there I started drawing more dinosaurs and beasties made out of other elements







B: You feature elements of Bristol in your work as well as dinosaurs, robots and animals? Where do you draw influence and inspiration from for your art?

A: I like to take everyday things that surround me such as the contents of my living room and the landscape and landmarks of Bristol and twist them into the shape of something fantastic. It's about making the mundane and the ordinary fantastic. Sitting waiting for a train at Temple Meads and counteracting the boredom by thinking some crazy shit like how if all the things around you could combine into a giant chicken with trains for feet! It's pretty wild shit and goes back to my childhood with collecting Transformers and Zoids and stuff.

I like to make creatures up out of things that interest me giving those items or pass times a personality of sorts. I think people can relate to a lot of these things - drinking, painting graff pieces, carnival soundsystems and watching Neighbours(!)

I like the concept of living, breathing cities and our relationships with where we live. This is another reason for the use of animal and dinosaur forms. I am genuinely interested in Paleontology too.

My work has been described before as 'a sideways examination of urban life' which sums it up quite nicely.







B: What's been your proudest achievement so far with your art?

A: I'm not sure really, there have been a few things that I have achieved that stand out. I was really pleased to do an illustration for the front cover of the Guardian Money section a while back. It was interesting to see it lying around in cafes and have friends tell me they saw it left on trains and buses around the country. I was happy when I made it into the Bath Evening Chronicle with my art as my mum and dad always read it.

The Bristol Dinosaur has been my biggest success I think. I created it a few years ago and it continues to be very popular. It has appeared in numerous magazines, an animation and it does well as a print and greetings card image. What interests me is that not only is it popular with Bristolians but people from all round the world who have often never visited the city.





B: Some of your finest work can be found in Totterdown, Easton and throughout Bristol. If you could be commissioned to paint any part of Bristol, where or what would it be?

A: I don't paint all that often in Bristol compared to a lot of the Graff/Street Artists here, so anywhere I can get my artwork up and about is a bonus. I guess ideally it would be in a central area and really big, maybe of a new hyper detailed Bristol beastie. Perhaps on the side of Trenchard Street Car Park or somewhere around Temple Meads. I quite like the idea of having a piece around the Temple Meads/Bath Road area as it was the route I would always come into Bristol from when I lived in Bath.

Actually, Southdown - the area of Bath I grew up in, would be where I would most like to paint a large dino mural. It's a working class area right on the edge of the city with very little going on there. I found it pretty dull and a bit of a creative dead end as a teenager and think that a ruddy big dino made out of loads of things in mad colours might be a bit of inspiration to the kids living there.

B: You've ventured into animation, is that something you'd like to explore more?

A: As mentioned earlier, I studied animation at college a while ago. I like it, but find it can do my head in, especially with all the detail I like to put in my drawings. I think I would like to do more of it again in the future, maybe having a city come together and form a beastie or something like that. It would be the sort of thing I would like to work on with the help of other people really.





B: Do you feel presently Bristol supports its artists well? Do you think the art community here is in rude health or slow decline?

A: I think that the visual arts scene in Bristol is really healthy with lots more going on than in many other cities in the UK. The amount of Street Art going on here is amazing and one of the main reasons I came here from Bath a while ago. It was, and still is, one of the main things that has influenced my work and I constantly buzz off the work produced by the great Graff/Street Artists that live here. I hope that there remain to be people working in Bristol City Council that are sympathetic towards it and continue to let it flourish here. It is a worry sometimes that the powers that be may become bored of it and really clamp down on the areas that it is painted.

Along with the Street Art scene in Bristol there are lots of really good Illustrators that live and work here. I sometimes think that perhaps Bristol is lacking a decent gallery space for local talent, particularly artists whose work doesn't fit in to the whole Graff/Street Art thing.





B: What's next for you?

A: I have lots of things I would like to do with my artwork in the next few years. I would like to develop a more painterly style with my work. This is partly so that I can speed things up a bit. It would help with street work and enable me to produce paintings faster. I have a little baby boy now and sometimes the last thing I want to do after looking after him is produce an ultra detailed illustration! Saying that, I can't see the detail totally disappearing from my work.

I also want to do more street pieces and I might make a return to doing the window drawing pieces. Making 3D models of the dinos is another plan along with producing comics, fanzines and books. One day I would like to go and search for the Beast of Bodmin and his mates.




B: Give us a top 5 (of anything).

A: My top 5 is of Cryptozoological beasts or Cryptids (animals that may or may not exist)

1.The Beast Of Bodmin - My favourite as I love the idea that there are big cats roaming around the UK. Bodmin and his mate the Beast of Exmoor were real heroes of mine when I was a kid. All that shit where they sent the army out to hunt it down and stuff was amazing! I would love to see one of these big feline beasties one day, but expect I would shit myself if I did!

2.Ninke Nanke - I like the name of this dragon like creature that supposedly lives in the West African country of the Gambia. A 2006 expedition by West Country based organisation Centre for Fortean Zoology (CFZ) didn't find it unfortunately.

3.Mokèlé-mbèmbé - Could be a Sauropod type Dinosaur living in central Africa.

4.Mylodon - Extinct Giant Ground Sloth that could still be living in Patagonia.

5.Orang Pendek - A short ground-dwelling, bipedal primate with a rad name that reportedly inhabits remote, mountainous forests on the island of Sumatra.

Andy Council's Website

BUG recently discovered that one of the most promising young illustrators in the UK resided in Bristol, so we had to track him down for a chat. Dave Bain came to Bristol via Falmouth and has been steadily building interest in his incredible work, a mix of medias and styles that are always infused with a bucketful of charm and creativity. His alternative illustrations for a range of classic novels can be found at his exhibition Cover It Up! debuting at The Folk House from Friday 6th February to Friday 6th March.

B: What is Dave Bain?

D: First and foremost, I’m an illustrator, living in Bristol. For me, Illustration is finding solutions using pictures. I’m given, or create, a theme, idea or story and then figure out the best way to depict that with an image. I also love being involved with broader creative projects, working alongside other artists. I’ve just taken on the running of exhibitions at Tobacco Factory Café/Bar and Grain Barge (Hotwells). Already, a team of eight artists, including myself, have added fun, sea-themed murals to parts of the Grain Barge. These are going to develop and be added to, by other art collectives, over the next year or so.

B: When did you start to draw?

D: ‘Art’ was always my favourite subject at school and I’ve memories of spending hours trying to draw faces from photographs, when I was a teenager. This really took off at Falmouth College of Arts, where I had fantastic tutors who introduced me to a vast and eclectic range of drawing methods. Drawing is a form of learning and thinking. It’s how I begin to solve problems visually.



B: You have quite a unique look to your work. How would you describe your style?

D: I work in a couple of different ways, depending on the audience or subject matter of my illustrations. I love colour, composition and hiding lots of little patterns and clues in my pictures, as I want people to be able to keep spotting different details, when they re-look at my images. Whether I’m painting a colourful illustration of children playing in a park or a bird in flight, I try and keep it fresh and immediate by following the designs of my preliminary drawings. I also try and create pictures which have a timeless quality and that don’t look too manufactured or computer enhanced, by holding onto painterly marks and textures and even occasionally distressing the image with sandpaper or varnish.

B: What inspires you in life to draw? Who or what are your influences?

D: Optical illusion, intricate patterns from different cultures, trees, the shapes bodies make, experimental marks and music with space are all ingredients that spice up my drawing life. I’m a big fan of Russell Cobb’s sketchbooks and conceptual thinking, Jonny Hannah’s typography, Bjorn Lie’s use of colour and the wacky story-telling of Tom Gauld’s images. It’s exciting living in Bristol, surrounded by local creative people and illustrators who are producing phenomenal work. I’m currently loving the work of Eleanor Rudge, Rob Hunter and Jon McNaught.







B: What's been your favourite piece so far?

D: That’s a tough one! I’m really happy with the mail-out booklet I completed for the NSPCC last year. It’s difficult to know how my illustrations will look, until I see the final product and, in this case, the paper quality and image colours were perfect. I’m also fond of a drawing called ‘Looking for a way in’, composed of various birds joined together to form a circle, with a young magpie to one side, looking a little left out.




B: Where does Beep Design differ to your main work? You bring a very human warmth to the robot world.

D: The Beep Design paintings fed off my love of robots and tin toys. This was a bit of a personal indulgence, so I separated it from my other portfolios. It’s natural that the resulting images have fun and warmth to them as my view of mechanical toys is that of nostalgia and childhood. My robots live in their own world of having particular functions. I shy away from futuristic, super-bot ideas and prefer jolly and unique robots, who have a specific task or function: making tea, collecting rain water, sorting out shapes or changing light bulbs.




B: Birdboy Drawings have more of an "adult" feel to them, as opposed to the rich, colourful style you've employed for previous children’s illustrations. Do you find it difficult or easy to draw knowing the work is aimed at children?

D: I don’t employ vastly different methods when producing drawings for a younger audience. I still consider all the elements that make up an effective picture, regardless of who it is aimed at. The ‘Birdboy drawings’ keep me grounded in a more realistic drawing style and, although they have a ‘grown-up’ appeal, I think that my more painterly work and these drawings do feed into each other.



B: What was the inspiration behind Where's My Hero?

D: This short story, or abstract poem, came out of a series of phrases and words I wrote down over a reflective period of time. Most people I’ve met have got small (or big) dreams and aspirations, as well as moments of doubt and the sense of being “lost at sea”. This book was my response to some of those thoughts. I only produced a few of these books, but the images and ideas have stuck with me. It’s definitely a project that I’ll return to at some stage.



B: Cover It Up is your own visual interpretation of certain books. How did the project come about?

D: It’s the mystery of the book cover that inspired me. When I’m reading a book I can’t help but glance back at the cover. It’s always brilliant when the cover reflects the content, without giving the game away. And even better when that’s done in a clever and interesting way. I wanted to explore those ideas, so simply set myself the challenge to tackle some of my favourite books. I’m really happy with the results and it’s going to be fun to see what others make of the exhibition.

B: Give us a top 5 (of anything).

D: My top 5 projects or pictures (in no particular order) that I’d like to develop are:

1. A story about someone who finds odd gloves and what they do with them.
2. The fairground.
3. A tin drummer who makes too much noise.
4. Horror and suspense images for short stories.
5. Forgotten monsters.

COVER IT UP! runs at The Folk House 6/2/09-6/3/09

PREVIEW: Wednesday 11th Feb (all welcome)

Folk House
40a Park Street,
Bristol,
BS1 5JG
0117 926 2987

FFI : The Folk House

"An exhibition of book covers, designed and created by local illustrator Dave Bain.
Selecting absolute classics and some downright good reads, Dave Bain has put pen to paper, brush to paint and pencil behind ear to produce a rather ripping collection of book covers. This very personal interpretation of well-known stories is sure to bring delight and surprise in this rare solo show.

All artwork is for sale.

The same exhibition will be showing at the ‘Here & Now’ Gallery in Falmouth, Cornwall from March 31st to April 25th."

Dave Bain Website
Dave Bain Blog