Described by The New York Times as "a hero to young designers," the British designer Barney Bubbles is one of the most mysterious but influential figures in the field of graphic design. Bubbles, who died 25 years ago, links the colorful underground optimism of the 1960s to the sardonic, edgier art that accompanied Punk's explosion a decade later. In the 1960s, Bubbles created posters for the Rolling Stones, brand and product design for Sir Terence Conran and psychedelic lightshows for Pink Floyd. Responsible for art direction at the key underground magazines Oz and Frendz, and for the classic masthead of the NME rock weekly, he is best known for the plethora of stunning record sleeves, logos, insignia and promo videos for musicians and performers, from the countercultural collective Hawkwind to New Wave and Postpunk stars Elvis Costello, Ian Dury, Nick Lowe, Graham Parker, The Damned, Billy Bragg, Depeche Mode and The Specials. Bubbles created his own idiom, amalgamating Expressionism, Dada, Constructivism and Concrete poetry into a Rock context. With over 600 images, the meticulously researched Reasons to be Cheerful is the first and definitive investigation into Bubbles' life and work. Billy Bragg contributes an introduction, graphic designer Peter Saville an essay on the significance of Bubbles' oeuvre (titled "Toward the Canonisation of Barney Bubbles") and Malcolm Garrett a foreword.
Paul Gorman is a London-based writer and fashion entrepreneur.
Over the last three decades he has written for a wide variety of publications including Mojo, GQ, The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, Radio Times, Screen International, Music Week and Heat.
Gorman has published eight books, including two editions of his acclaimed history of post-war music, fashion and style The Look: Adventures in Rock & Pop Fashion, and the definitive history of the transatlantic music press In Their Own Write.
Two of his books have appeared in the London Sunday Times best-sellers lists - Straight with Boy George and Cry Salty Tears, a ghostwritten story of spousal abuse for Dinah O'Dowd.
His most recent book is Reasons To be Cheerful: The Life & Work Of Barney Bubbles, about the late graphic designer who committed suicide in 1983. This is available in the US via DAP distributution from September 1 2009.
Gorman has two book blogs: http://barneybubbles.com/blog and http://rockpopfashion.com/blog. Both are regularly updated with fresh and exclusive info, images and interviews.
Gorman also operates the fashion label The Look Presents which delivers its fifth collection to Topman in the US and Europe fall 2009.
A pop culture historian, Gorman has staged exhibitions, Q&As, fashion shows and many other events with partners including Sir Paul Smith, Central Saint Martin's College Of Art and the Victoria & Albert Museum.
