Harrison 
The first monograph on the work of Colin Fulcher, also known as Barney Bubbles, fills a significant gap in knowledge about an important yet underappreciated figure in the history of graphic design. Published in 2008, the book is currently out of print and sells online for between $300 and $1,900.
Fortunately, those who missed out the first time are lucky. Volume releases a deluxe limited collector’s edition of the definitive monograph. The wild world of Barney Bubbles, revised and updated by this book’s author, Paul Gorman. The publication date coincides with Bubbles’ 80th birthday on July 30, 2022.
From the late 1960s until his untimely death in 1983, Bubbles quietly became one of the most respected and sought-after designers on the British independent music scene. He designed album sleeves, posters, and ephemera for numerous bands and musicians, including Hawkwind, the Damned, Elvis Costello, Ian Dury and the Blockheads, and Depeche Mode. He did not like to sign his works, but when he did, he used various pseudonyms, including Jacuzzi his Stallion, Heaps his Willard, and Barney his Bubbles.
In today’s world of digital downloads and music streaming, it’s easy to forget just how powerful record sleeve design is, or how connected it is to the music itself. The graphical component of an album is often a consumer’s first point of contact with new music, and they become closely associated with the album from then on.
Alex Steinweiss, widely known as the father of album cover art, started the tradition of using graphics to sell records in the 1930s. At that time, music was provided in bland and uniform record albums. “In my mind, this was not the way to package beautiful music,” he said. After he convinced Columbia to invest in his new idea, sales increased by a whopping 900%. Record company executives took notice, and this paved the way for what would become a golden age of album cover art that spanned his 1960s through his 1980s. Barney his Bubbles was one of his central characters.
Over the past several years, Gorman has worked with the Bernie Bubbles Estate to incorporate an additional 16 pages of never-before-seen rare material. foam box This piece is generously packaged in a cloth bubblegum pink Solander box and is screen-printed with a design created by Bubbles for Ian Dury and the Blockheads’ hit single ‘Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick’. The clamshell includes Barney’s Bubbles, including a 21-piece “Galactic Tarot” set designed for the band His Hawkwind, a personalized pyramid printed on reflective foil, and a “Dome His Sweet Dome.” Also includes various items. Naturally, it’s a geodesic dome.
The packaging for this collector’s edition of Volume is in the spirit of Barney Bubbles, known for incorporating playful elements into his designs. Founded in 2017 by Darren Wall and Lucas Dietrich, Thames & Hudson’s experimental collective uses a crowdfunding model to create collectible books for niche audiences. Volume’s strength lies in identifying subjects with strong fan bases that would otherwise be passed over by larger publishers, who are often forced to publish books conservatively due to financial considerations.
When I interviewed Wall for Volume last year, he explained how raising money up front allows publishers to go all out with production. Instead of conservatively estimating the number of copies sold, his team works with authors to artwork. The goal is to deliver books that are the holy grail for die-hard fans. Fortunately, that’s what you get. foam box accurately.
Part of the pleasure of looking at Bubbles’ work, especially compiled in book form, is the dizzying array of visual cues culled from early 20th century art movements, comic books, and other cultural reference points. , he brilliantly reused them to create something new. meaning. Hawkwind’s early albums include: road hawks Art Deco influence. cosmic ritual Elements were borrowed from Art Nouveau and Alphonse Mucha.and amazing sound, great music, has an Italian Futurist intonation.Abstract album cover inspired by Wassily Kandinsky music for fun The Damned’s logo is classic, as is the Bauhaus-inspired logo of Ian Dury’s backing band, The Blockheads.
More than just a pastiche, Bubbles incorporates elements from various art and design trends and presents them in playful and unexpected ways. He was a master of subverting expectations and making clever visual puns. His album covers were like miniature canvases on which he could experiment with color, type, illustration, and photography. It’s no surprise that Bubbles also dabbled in other mediums such as furniture (such as this wonderful Tree of Drawers of his), video, and painting, but he remains best known for his albums. This is the jacket design.
Even back then, Bubbles’ preference for anonymity was a recurring theme. In an interview with The Face in November 1981, he explained: “I feel very strongly that what I do is for other people, so I don’t really like crediting my name on other people’s albums — like I have Nick.” Lowe’s album, It’s not a Barney Bubbles album, it’s a Nick Lowe album! ”
The irony, of course, is that despite Bubbles’ humble personality and dislike of the spotlight, many of the albums he designed are definitely his. By the early 1980s, imitators began to materialize, confirming his influence within the music industry. There is a famous story at the time that Bubbles went around to various record labels with his portfolio, only to find out that other designers had passed off his work as their own.
Almost 40 years after his death, Barney Bubbles will finally get the recognition he deserves. He remains an enigmatic figure, but thanks to the dedicated efforts of Paul Gorman, this artist has given us some of the most iconic and memorable album cover designs of the late 20th century. Learn a little more about the complex and talented designer.
can be done in advanceorder foam box here.
For decades, Ryan Mungia has pursued a multidisciplinary career that includes book design, publishing, and writing about visual arts for various websites such as AIGA/Eye on Design and Literary Hub. He works as an archivist and manages the Hyman Collection, his 50-year repository of 20th century images, narrative art, popular culture, and photography. His Mungia editorial and design work at the Cologne-based publishing house TASCHEN continues in his 15th year. His work has spawned a variety of titles, including Pot Shots, Protect Yourself, The Will To Draw, Shore Leave, and his most recent book, Do You Compute?
