Alan Fletcher

Alan Fletcher

My work, like

“

everyone else’s, is a

reflection of my

.

personality ”

About the Artist

Alan Fletcher (1931 - 2006)

An esteemed British designer and co-founder of the elite design firm Pentagram, Alan Fletcher’s work inspires viewers to step away from the dull screens of the computer and play with pen and paper.

With his keen sense of humor, his work uses collage, his own handwriting, watercolor, pen and ink.

He uses a variety of tactics in his designs to convey his points whether for clients or for personal sketches. It is through these four main points that his messages are received: -Humor -Imagery as text -Simplicity -Handmade

Alan Fletcher taken by Peter Marlow 2001

Humor

Fletcher has an overwelming sense of wit and humor with his work, utilizing puns and metaphors along with other classic forms of humor to make his viewer stop and appreciate the rariety that is well placed wit in design.

Fletcher’s work shows that graphic design doesn’t not need to be serious all the time. He shows a playful side through much needed finesse.

You can almost always see Fletcher’s stupendous wit in his work, using simple designs with perfectly clever commentary and captions to each one. His work always leaves the viewer chuckling.

A Field in Flanders 1992

“You can’t design

panache.”

sh) n. (pan-a anner m t boyan 1. Flam s courage. ckles and re

he Panac

“Wit makes connections no one thought of

in quite the same way.

Wit exposes a likeness in things that are different, and a difference in things that are

alike.

Wit makes sense out of nonsense.�

The Costa Brava 1992

Imagery as Text/ Text as Imagery Fletcher ‘s work is dominated by imagery. He plays with text as imagery, illustrating words in quirky ways that hint at his humorous take on design.

He uses pen, pencil and cut paper to create these illustrative words and designs, but he never seems to create the same design twice. He has a gift for depicting his point on numerous occassions without wearing down his gift for interesting designs, as seen throughout this book. Using simple techniques such as smudging pencil to create a windy wisp design or using broad brush strokes and handwritten type to illustrate a Spring month, Fletcher never exhausts his imagination, and this is clearly evident throughout his body of work both on and off the computer.

Wind/Smudged 1994

“Design is intelligence made visible.”

Charity Poster IBM 1985

Simplicity

“I try to

squeeze

things down to their

Aries the Ram Zodiac Calendar G&B Arts/Pentagram 1990

essence.�

It is clear to see Fletcher’s considered simplicity throughout his body of work.

Continuing with the theme of simplicity demonstrated throughout this book, Fletcher is a master designer in regards to taking simple, almost mundane and elementary techniques and twisting them into something new each time he uses them.Through solid colors of cut paper to illustrate a charming Ram, or a singular broad brush stroke to illustrate growing grass in a warm, spring month, Fletcher knows exactly what he’s doing when he takes simple ideas, simple techniques and morphs them into something greater than would normally be imagined.

Alan Fletcher worked with his co-founded design firm, Pentagram in 1991 to create an incredibly simple calendar, each month combining everything Fletcher’s about, (Humor, imagery, handwriting) and quirkily demonstrating each month’s essence. (November is a serious squiggle, with a narrative of “November Fog” while September is a squiggled blue crayon with quickly drawn birds, labeled “A Fresh September Morning”Combining simple techniques with his staggering wit, he creates pictures that are easy to understand and lovely to behold.

May Weather Calendar G&BArts/Pentagram 1991

Handmade & Handwritten

You know by now that Alan Fletcher was a man who knew how to utilize the simplicities of craft around him to create fun narratives for clients and for personal gain and experimentation. A lot of his work was in his own writing, adding another personal touch to his already personal work. Alan Fletcher was an incredibly gifted man in the ways of design; knowing that design isn’t all seriousness but if you know how to get off the computer and have fun with childhood supplies like paper, crayons and pencils, then you’re on your way to knowing a great secret in the design world.

HQ Magazine Cover 1989

December Weather Calendar G&B Arts/ Pentagram 1991

“Typefaces are

raw

material. They are malleable

forms which can be made into anything, from yachts to portraits...�

Design by Cassidy Seidler Typesetting by Cassidy Seidler Printed and Bound by Cassidy Seidler Spring 2012 Typeface: Gill Sans Light and Regular Printed on 32# paper.