Barney Bubbles wasn’t just a designer – he was a visionary. His work brought colour, dynamism and a sense of bold expression to every project. He taught me that design isn’t just about aesthetics – it’s about emotion, energy and creating something that speaks to the heart. Raissa Pardini
This is the first in an occasional series of contemporary practitioners providing their thoughts on the continuing relevance of the work of Barney Bubbles.
Concert poster
From Tuscany and based in London after sojourns in Berlin and Glasgow, Pardini’s work expresses vibrancy and wit, showcasing her considerable talents as a multi-disclipinary designer who is also a radical typographer and joyous creative director.
Concert poster
‘Coming from a tiny town where nothing much ever happened, I took my first solo trip to London at 14,’ said Pardini recently. ‘I quickly learned the art of sneaking into Trash and the indie clubs, full of makeup and nerves, hoping no one would clock my age. Back in Italy, all I could think about was being involved in music. I hustled my way into a local radio station, then hit the national ones, eventually landing my own show.
Record sleeves
‘I played bass with local pals in their garages, spinning records just to secure a couch to crash on after gigs—most of which I seemed to be attending alone. Getting my driver’s license was a game-changer, as it meant I no longer depended on others for rides to gigs. By then, I had built my own communities around different cities, and being part of the music scene became my lifeblood.
Concert poster
Magazine design
‘I was printing zines in my mom’s office, and that’s when I discovered my love for design too.’
Book designs
As her portfolio shows, Pardini’s designs are collected by the V&A and she has worked with major brands and bands from MTV and Nike to Blur and The Rolling Stones but retains a street-level engagement having DJed live and on radio stations, played in such groups as Loaded and collaborated with the amazing likes of Yassassin and Cumgirl8 (who she manages – see below for a great promo directed by Leah Hennessey featuring a Susan Sontag AI hologram – you have to sign in to watch it but it’s worth it).
The Barney Bubbles Estate’s Instagram feed has now gathered more than 5,000 followers and is collecting more every day.
Presenting a regularly updated and rich mix of design history and ephemera, @barney_bubbles_estate has great engagement. Followers keenly contributing comments and views on the examples of the late graphic artist’s exemplary body of work, from art student sketches to promo videos to rare posters to record sleeve extravaganzas.
The account also provides news on developments in the wild world of Barney Bubbles; soon there will be trails for a series of major forthcoming collaborations with contemporary artists and designers.
This is the colour version of the drawing by musician Ed Hamell – of the band Hamell On Trial – which appears on the inner sleeve of The Paranoid Style’s new album For Executive Meeting.
Hamell also contributed to the lyric video for the album’s lead track tribute to Bubbles, including the interpretation of the cover of Elvis Costello & The Attractions’s album Imperial Bedroom – watch out for it at 02.00 in the clip:
++ Left: New Barney Bubbles Muleskinners T; right: Julian Balme’s tribute for The Commuters, 1980 ++
42 years separate the designs in this great photo, which pairs the new official Barney Bubbles Muleskinners T-shirt on the left with the one-off tribute on the right designed in 1980 by Julian Balme for the UK post-punk R&B group The Commuters.
Both belong to Peter Stanfield, the group’s harmonica player who is these days a prominent pop culture academic and author, notably of the recently published Pin-Ups 1972.
++ Writer/musician Elizabeth Nelson with her copy of The Wild World of Barney Bubbles courtesy @paranoid_style on Instagram ++
++ Matthew Higgs, director/chief curator of White Columns Gallery in NYC, posted this to his IG account @matthewhiggs2015 ++
The Wild World of Barney Bubbles is published in the US today and it’s already making waves.
Writer/musician Elizabeth Nelson, whose band The Paranoid Style has a tribute to the late graphic artist on their forthcoming album, says: ‘It’s a visual feast and a must-have for fans of Bubbles, Stiff Records, album art, typography, design, music, beauty and inspiration writ large. Go get one wherever you buy literature!’
++ A Box of Bubbles is housed in this impressive 25 x 30cm casing decorated with one of Barney Bubbles’ most familiar artworks, for Ian Dury & The Blockheads’ 1978 single Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick ++
++ The box contains a copy of The Wild World of Barney Bubbles with a different hard cover jacket from the regular version ++
Very exciting – the first advance copy of A Box of Bubbles has arrived… and it looks amazing.
++ The boxed version of Wild World also has different end-papers based on patterns produced for Elvis Costello & The Attractions 1979 LP Armed Forces ++
A new addition to the Barney Bubbles Shop is the 1964 design for Twickenham Tech art school r&b group The Muleskinners, whose line-up included the late, great Ian McLagan of the Small Faces and The Faces.
The Wild World of Barney Bubbles is featured in the current issue of British music magazine Shindig! with a colourful double page spread and an interview with author Paul Gorman on the companion website.
We had a great night last week at north London’s Camden Art Centre celebrating the work of Barney Bubbles with a mini-exhibition of his work in two vitrines, book signings, a playlist of Bubbles-designed music and an in-conversation between monograph author Paul Gorman and printmaker and artist Annie Nicholson aka The Fandangoe Kid.
Welcome to the online celebration of the late graphic genius Barney Bubbles, spanning his extraordinary designs for music, including record sleeves, posters, advertising and ephemera, as well as art direction of books, the underground press and music magazines and his landmark promo videos, private paintings and furniture pieces.
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins
Error: No feed with the ID 1 found.
Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to create a feed.
A new addition to the Barney Bubbles Shop is the 1964 design for Twickenham Tech art school r&b group The Muleskinners, whose line-up included the late, great Ian McLagan of the Small Faces and The Faces.
