10 BEL O W Z E R O - I T’ S T H E ART S We all know Leeds is cool – check out the frostbite – but it’s also pretty nifty with it. Cool. To celebrate all things gnarly, each issue we will be asking someone(s) to make their top ten list of the things they think are cool. This issue our designers, Ollie and Tom, have been looking at art in Leeds. Take it away, Workshop.
Jay Cover Nous Vous are a collective of three artists, designers and illustrators formed in Leeds that have gained widespread acclaim nationwide. Their work has been commissioned for a variety of projects but really comes alive when exhibited. Jay is the only member of the Nous Vous collective still living and working in Leeds and his work is simple and craft-driven with a great attention to detail. A brilliant example of keeping a working practice interesting and arts-based rather than chasing corporate commissions.
Leeds is a city with a thriving arts culture. As Graphic Designers we are constantly involved with, inspired and excited by the artists, designers, photographers, film makers and other practitioners working around us. Here’s a few of our favourites. Qubik Qubik is a Graphic Design studio run by graphic designer and sound artist Joe Gilmore. Joe specialises in typographic-led design for print as well as digital media. Joe works for a wide variety of clients but his work really flourishes within the arts. This is a sector in which his experimental approach towards sound art gets to shine through and this progressive approach, combined with his strict and ordered typographic skills, creates fantastic work that is engaging and beautiful. Joe manages to keep a healthy balance between his art and design practices which in turn breeds creativity.
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Kate Prior Kate is an illustrator and print maker who is most well known for her work with Nation of Shopkeepers. Her hand-crafted style created an identity for the bar and venue that is now recognisable throughout the city. This work really put Kate on the map and has now allowed her to work with other night clubs, music festivals and create T-shirts and other items for bands and shops nationwide. The Blind Club The Blind Club are a group of film makers that concentrate their practice on music. That is they specialise in filming and photographing musicians. The Blind Club are brilliant at capturing artists in their most authentic surroundings/situations and evoke a sense of honesty and intimacy that many other photographers and film makers strive to achieve.
Matthew the Horse Matthew Hodson is another Leeds based illustrator creating character based, hand drawn designs. Matthew has a great ability to combine colour and shape to create images full of life and movement. As well as imagemaking, Matthew also designs and sells his own line of T-shirts simply