so, maybe peter did the artwork?

If you don't read the comments on this blog (they're listed over on the right), you might have missed the very interesting responses from Ian which follow on from my little quiz last week about the British Leyland logo that I spotted at the Beaulieu International Autojumble.

Now, I haven't seen Ian for 30 years (maybe even a few more), so imagine my surprise when I get an email alert that he's posted a comment on the blog. Anyway, Ian confirms that he's alive and kicking and running Indent Design in Reading. And he thinks he did the artwork for the logo, but he's not sure - maybe Peter did it? Peter, are you out there as well?

Well, I'm pretty certain that it was Ian. I don't think I did very much work on that project, so it's unlikely to have been me. But interesting that neither of us can quite remember. So maybe Peter did it after all.

What we both remember quite clearly, though, is how the National Theatre logo came about - something I first posted about last year (sorry it's one of those where Typepad have lost my images). Ian explains:

"Henrion actually (as I recall it) had to go to a conference and hadn't come up with a design with the deadline looming, so he said we could have a go. I did a first rough idea over the weekend and when he returned he said it needed more work, which involved refining the letterforms. He then produced a more angular union jack based design himself. He pitched the ideas (he told me) saying mine could be National Truck (If you knew him you'd be able to hear him saying this), and was a bit nonplussed when he had to tell me my idea won. But it gave him some satisfaction to have beaten Pentagram (who had rejected him as a partner). Still I can't hate the guy. He's given me lots of good stories to tell based on the short time I knew him, and I did get £50 bonus for the design. I actually redrew it at home (didn't like the way it reproduced, so made all the lines slightly curved) and got a friend at the National Theatre (Richard Bird - a great designer who died of AIDS) to substitute the artwork, but as time went by it got recreated with straight lines again. PS The other competitor company was Banks & Miles. The sculptor Eduardo Paolozzi dropped out."

"PPS: Just remembered. Henrion's first idea was a very triangular version of a stencil/union jack design. But I think he then did an N/T/face with eye, torn paper kind of thing, which is what he pitched."

But Ian must have gone to some pre-presentation meeting, since I have a very clear recollection of him describing the Pentagram proposal (the one he thought would win) to Peter and I. It was apparently a very clever negative/positive silhouette based on the tragedy/comedy masks (I bet it was done by Alan Fletcher). It would be interesting to know if anyone at Pentagram might be able to dig it out from their archives.

And, finally, if you're wondering how and why Ian's posting comments on my blog after 30 years, Ian explains that he was doing a Google search for 'Ian Dennis' to see if two pictures he submitted to the Cloud Appreciation Society a few years back were still on the site. And next to them was the NT symbol, so he clicked on it and ended up here. (So, warm greetings to anyone else who's arrived here when they were really looking for clouds. You know what they say, every one has a silver lining!).

Comments

[Ian Dennis]

I think the tragedy/comedy masks probably was Alan Fletcher I seem to think it once appeared in an article of favourite designs which were rejected.

And it's great to be able to click on the link to Richard Bird and see some of his posters. Where it get's freaky is I artworked the lettering for Richard III in my job before Henrion's, using a trendy-at-the-time Letragraphica face. So maybe I was just everyone's artworker at that time.

Ian

[ian Dennis]

Sorry about the stray apostrophe in 'gets'. Inexcusable!

Ian

[Alex]

I'm enjoying this thread, David. (I was about to say history lesson, but that would just be rude.) You clearly need to track down more old friends.