Peter Saville
Peter Saville is deemed to be one of the most popular British graphic designers, art directors and artists of the generation. Saville was an essential component in the creative formula at Factory Records, by giving the label and its artists a consistent yet particular image that matched their sound. He designed numerous sleeves for bands such as Joy Division and New Order.
The back of the cover of Power, Corruption and Lies includes a colour wheel which actually gives away a secret code. This code may then be used to translate the seemingly random colours on the edges of the sleeve of this album. The code also works for the Blue Monday single, and once decoded gives information on the band name, album name and label information.
I find many aspects of his work interesting; his use of colour, his recycling of old paintings, his use of hidden meanings. I must admit that I am not the biggest fan of the entirety of Saville’s work. I think that his work is iconic, recognisable and has historical value, but this does not make the design great. Saville himself says in an interview with In Fashion,
“The record would have still sold, even if buyer didn’t like the artwork. The cover has no function other than to protect the record.”
This allowed Saville to remove his ‘responsibility’ to create something likeable that will sell records, and accurately communicates who the band is and the style of music. He simply created what he thought was cool and what he was drawn to. The nature of Factory Records permitted him to be bold in his work since he was not answerable to anyone.
In later years, Saville moved away from record sleeves. In 2004 he became the Creative Director for the City of Manchester, where he played an imporant role in defining the identity of the city. He also frequently collaborates with fashion designers like Raf Simmons, Christian Dior and Stella McCartney.
This boldness is concurrent in his work. His irreverence is prominent in his work in industry. Taking his commission for Lacoste as an example, in which they specified that he could do whatever he wanted to, as long as he did not touch the crocodile. So he went on to destroy this crocodile in 80 different ways;
Saville is a harsh critic of the mass consumerism and brand obsession. He hates the idea of people designing with the intent to seduce, or rather, making a business/company look as if they believe in something, when in reality they do not. This is something I strongly agree with. I believe that I will find fulfilment in my work when I am doing something I believe in, and portray this honestly and authentically through a design.
Saville uses his career as a tool to express himself and his views. His approach seems to be much more artistic and political than other designers, and therefore his work is thought provoking and interesting. I do not think that all of his work is necessarily a masterpiece but his practice of out of the box thinking is definitely a trait of great design.
