“I’m not a popstar”
In a ceremony at The Design Museum on London’s High Street Kensington, presented by Will Gompertz (Arts Editor of the BBC), this evening, the jury for Beazley Designs of the Year selected Jonathan Barnbrook’s Blackstar design as the winner of the Graphics category.
A jovial but humbled Barnbrook was there in person to collect the award, and his acceptance speech included a piss-poor impersonation of Bowie (albeit, for comedic effect and very tongue-in-cheek…actually, it wasn’t THAT bad), as he recounted his communications with DB over the years. He also sang a bit of Changes for good measure. Obviously this didn’t detract from the quality of his brilliant design work, as highlighted in the entry from tonight’s catalogue…
★ Designed by Jonathan Barnbrook at Barnbrook for David Bowie/Sony Entertainment Inc. – Nominated by Shane Walter
David Bowie’s career has been defined by changes as much in his visual image as his music, so it is testament to Barnbrook’s talent that he has worked on projects for him since 2002. The pinnacle is the artwork and graphic visual design he produced for Bowie’s final album Blackstar.
Bowie was a star who burnt very bright in his lifetime. It’s poignant and powerful, therefore, to have a dark star represent someone whose legacy will never fade. As Barnbrook says, ‘The symbol, rather than writing “Blackstar”, has as a sort of finality, a darkness, a simplicity, which is a representation of the music.’
It is remarkable and restrained, stripped back yet an almighty work of compelling graphic art. It is a clear counterpoint to the visual clutter that litters our daily view. It was created with deep trust and mutual respect: iconic design, worthy of an icon. – Shane Walter
John Morgan also had this to say about the decision to award Barnbrook:
“The Graphics category caused heated debate among the jury. Are we looking for impact, creativity, popularity, significance, timeliness? The Blackstar design is an iconic piece of graphic design that defined an important moment in musical history. It has the ability to connect with an audience and demonstrates the power that music and design has to connect and unite people.” – John Morgan, Founder of John Morgan Studio
Well done, Jonathan, much deserved.
You can watch Barnbrook’s acceptance speech, via Periscope, here on the Design Museum Twitter page.
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