Friday, 5:05am
2 November 2012
Graphic design history to boot
Everything must go when Ian Anderson sells off the contents of The Designers Republic (TDR) archive in its Car Booty Affair in Sheffield.
At what point does the ephemera that is graphic design become collectable? When does a piece of paper become an artefact? These are questions Ian Anderson of TDR makes us think about as he holds a retrospective exhibition of the studio’s work in the form of a car boot sale at the ‘Month of Sundays’ gallery in Sheffield.
Ian Anderson.
Founded in 1986, TDR quickly attracted legions of fans with their irreverent visions of the future from the point of view of the 1990s. Their 1994 issue of Emigre attained cult status and in the 21st century TDR became known as the highly-commercial anti-branders of branding (See Liz Farrelly’s Reputations interview with Ian Anderson in Eye 71). While it briefly folded in 2009 Anderson revived TDR after a short hiatus. ‘Car Booty Affair’ sees a range of TDR work go on show.
Wipeout.
Ian Anderson writes: ‘Ransacked from The Church of What’s Happening Now are the holy grails of what dance music, electronica, post Wipeout gaming and the future have looked like over the last 25 years, from battle-scarred Customized Terror and Coca Cola to unreleased PWEI [Pop Will Eat Itself], Warp and NYSushi proofs, from Japanese People’s Bureau obscurities to super-rare Pho-Ku Corporate communication, and from Barcelona, New York, Tokyo and Croydon to right now, Reyt North of Nowhere™. Rare shirts and shit for the discerning culture collector, philanthropist and general nosey-parker is on-display— then on it’s way, with new old work replacing sold work all day every day.’
Sissy, designed by TDR.
Emigre no. 29, 1994.
The exhibition culminates in a closing event on Saturday 3 November when more new material goes on show. There will also be a TDR jukebox playing songs whose artwork was created by the studio and Anderson, never short of something to say, will also attend to answer questions and sign work.
TDR Carbooty Affair, exhibition poster.
TDR™ Car Booty Affair, at ‘a Month of Sundays Gallery’ in Sheffield is on until Saturday 3 November. Entry to the exhibition is free and the gallery is open 10am-5pm.
TDR™ @ a Month of Sundays Gallery
365 Sharrow Vale Road, Sheffield S11 8ZG
T: 0114 263 1000
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