Pixies graphic designer gives public lecture
World renowned graphic designer Vaughan Oliver made a rare public appearance at the University for the Creative Arts (UCA) at Epsom on Thursday (27 September).
The Grammy Award nominated designer, who is best known for creating the Pixies' album covers, talked about his 30 year career and shared the secrets behind his work with the help of scores of unpublished images.
Vaughan, who was awarded an honorary degree from UCA last year, said: "It was really interesting for me to speak to such a wide demographic, as I'm not used to talking to the general public, academics and students at the same time, but I really enjoyed the talk and was touched by the warm response from the audience.
"It's fantastic to be able to give something back to Epsom and UCA in this way and I hope it will help engage and inspire the students especially.
"It's a real privilege to receive an honorary degree from UCA because I think it highlights the cultural significance of record sleeves and that they're not just something to stop records from falling off the shelves."
Epsom-based Vaughan has a special relationship with UCA. In 2010, he enlisted the help of several BA (Hons) Graphic Design students to work with him on a limited edition boxset for the Pixies which ended up being nominated for a Grammy Award.
Vaughan said: "I was knocked out by the quality of the work they did for me on Minotaur - it was beyond awesome - it was life-affirming that these kids could create something so special with me.
"UCA is highly recognised and appreciated nationwide and we're really lucky in Epsom to have it here on our doorstep."
Famed for his dark imagery and innovative use of typography, Vaughan began his career in the packaging design departments of Benchmark and then Michael Peters & Partners in London. He then started designing artwork for independent record label 4AD. Creating album covers for iconic bands such as the Pixies meant his work was enjoyed by millions of people around the world.
His unique approach to design has attracted an impressive list of clients which include: global film production companies, publishing houses, museums and advertising projects for L'Oreal and Coco de Mer.
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Alongside his graphic design portfolio, Vaughan has directed various television commercials for Microsoft, Sony and Harrods.
His work has been shown at galleries across the world. In 1992 he exhibited a retrospective collection of his work in Nantes, France. Its success led to further shows in Paris, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Athens and UK. His work has been collected by the V&A Museum archive and is on permanent exhibition in their 20th Century gallery.
For more information contact:
David Reilly, Press Officer, UCA
T: 01252 892939
E: dreilly@ucreative.ac.uk
