Photo courtesy Raissa Pardini

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).

Billboard

Glastonbury Festival billboards

Pardini’s social conscience has also led her to work with such organisations as Brian Eno’s Earth Percent, Endometriosis UK and Rape Crisis.

Hear Pardini’s talk about designing for music.

Listen to Pardini’s recent playlist for International Women’s Day here and visit her site here.

Tags: Bikini Kill, Blur, Brian Eno, Cumgirl8, Daryl Bullock, Denim, Earth Percent, Endometriosis UK, Glastonbury Festival, Leah Hennessey, Loaded, MTV, Nike, Rape Crisis, Rolling Stones, The Orielles, V&A, Yassassin

++ The front panel of the Space Ritual tour programme/poster ++

Just as he did for Ian Dury & The Blockheads and Elvis Costello and the Attractions half-a-decade later, Barney Bubbles produced a fold-out programme/poster for Hawkwind’s 1972 Space Ritual tour.

++ Opened out to reveal this portrait of saxophonist Nik Turner and the start of Robert Calvert’s essay ++

As well as Bubbles’ striking illustrations and graphics, the exercise included photography of the group’s main members and an entertaining if rambling sci-fi/semi-fictional account of the group’s activities by poet, lyricist and performer Robert Calvert.

++ Unfolded the poster measures 56 x 39 cm ++

Calvert, Bubbles and other contributors such as writer Michael Moorcock received tips of the hat in the credits.

TAGS: None

This is Barney Bubbles’ copy of one of the books which not only advanced graphic design practice in the 1960s but was also to leave a major mark on him and his future output.

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Tags: Alan Fletcher, Bob Gill, Colin Forbes, Graphic Design: Visual Comparisons, John Lewis, Royal College Of Art, Studio Books

Hundreds of record sleeves and pieces of ephemera designed by Barney Bubbles are currently on display in Sweden’s oldest record store, Burmans Musik in Umeå.

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Tags: Burmans Musik, Stefan Nilsson, Sweden

Artists’ agent and passionate music lover Norman Maslov has posted a 10 minute journey through The Wild World of Barney Bubbles on his Youtube channel, augmented by examples of original and reissue record sleeve and poster designs from his collection.

Watch above and here.

Tags: Norman Maslov, Youtube

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.

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Tags: British Poster Award, Ian McLagan, Mods & Rockers

++ Barney Bubbles’ ‘Hamer And Sickle’ photography paste-up, 1979. Dimensions: 25.5 x 29.3cm ++

++ The four appearances by the logo on the inner and outer sleeves of Nick Lowe’s Labour of Lust LP ++

The photographic paste-up of one of Barney Bubbles’ most notable designs is among the late designer’s incredibly rare and highly collectible artworks included in the online sale currently being conducted by international auction house Bonhams.

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Tags: Basing Street, Cracking Up, Hamer, Iggy Pop, Lust For Life, Pantone