Flying High Again

By londonist_mark Last edited 220 months ago
Flying High Again
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Anyone who's been to a gig or club night in the last, say, hundred years or so, will have run the gauntlet of pastry faced youngsters thrusting Giant Oaks worth of tatty bits of paper into your hands. Some will be badly written, badly printed, and unreadable for unwatchable bands, others will tell you in shiny glossy four colour printing all about the shows you missed three months ago and a few others will make great roach material. Once upon a time we're sure that music promotion and art used to skip daintily, hand in hand down the street of dreams and on to the walls of the faithful.

It's not, of course, quite that bad. Well not all the time. For the art of the club flyer has been alive and well ever since some joker wired up two record players together and it's being celebrated at a new exhibition at the La Viande Gallery, 3 Charlotte Road, Shoreditch from tomorrow until the 23rd, with preview and party this evening from 6:

Principally existing to advertise and inform, little flyers have a big job. However, due to the transient nature of the flyer, designers must be thoughtful and grab attention in the short time span that they have available. Not only do they communicate facts but demonstrate the personality of the club.

Successful flyers are usually collectable, existing independently because they're desirable.

If you look beyond the flyer as a signpost directing you toward your favourite club night and study it a little closer you may see it as something else – a work of art. Many club promoters over the years have used the humble flyer not only to fill their venue but build a brand or at least try and convey a sense of what nights are about through images.

Exactly what we would have said. On display will be Ali Augur's flyers for Plastic People with some beautiful sketches of London alongside some of the UK's premier flyer illustrators and designers: Andrew Rae (Perverted Science / Neighbourhood), Elliot Thoburn (333), Fred Deakin (Impotent Fury / Lemon Jelly), Kristophe (All over my face), Mr. Scruff (Keep it Unreal), Eg.g (Electric Chair / Electric Souls), Tim Ellis (Aficionado), Will Sweeney (Bashy / All Night Schlong), Adrian Fillary (Lovebox / Horse Meat Disco / Whistlebump), and James Joyce (It's Bigger Than).

Limited edition artworks by all featured artists will be available to buy during the exhibition.

Last Updated 10 November 2005