Barney Bubbles

Category: 1980s

  • The Barney Bubbles Jewellery Shop is good to go!

    We’re really pleased to announce that after months of tests and tweaking we’re launching the Barney Bubbles Jewellery range!

    Click on the image above to check out the Barney Bubbles Jewellery Shop featuring the exciting launch collection consisting of a baker’s dozen of pieces including badges, brooches, pendants and earrings.

    These are based on the design maestro’s stunning artworks for a range of artists from space rock through punk and new wave, including Dr Feelgood, Elvis Costello & The Attractions, Nick Lowe, Hawkwind, Johnny Moped, John Cooper Clarke, Ian Dury & The Blockheads and Rockpile.

    We’ll be featuring the stories behind individual pieces here over the coming weeks, with insights into the origination of each design and the ways in which it has been realised in 3D.

    Prices range between £25 and £120 for the Barney Bubbles jewellery collection, which is shipping worldwide and is a collaboration between the Barney Bubbles Estate and sculptor/jeweller Blaine Hurdle.

    Check out Blaine’s work here.

  • RIP Dick Pope: Great cinematographer and Barney Bubbles’ collaborator on the Ghost Town video

    RIP to the great British cinematographer Dick Pope, who has died aged 77.

    Pope is best known for his work with the director Mike Leigh, and his impressive CV includes a raft of music videos including Queen’s I Want To Break Free and, of course, the Barney Bubbles-directed Ghost Town for The Specials.

    As recounted by Bubbles’ video producer Genevieve Terry in The Wild World of Barney Bubbles, Pope was horrified when Bubbles played fast-and-loose with the expensive camera affixed to the car the members of the Specials were travelling in, though appreciated the outcome.

    Here’s the tremendous outcome of their efforts:

  • Norman Maslov on The Wild World of Barney Bubbles on Youtube

    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.

  • 42 years separate this pair of Muleskinners-inspired T-shirts

    ++ 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.

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  • Shindig! feature and interview celebrating publication of The Wild World of Barney Bubbles

    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.

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  • New Barney Bubbles cards, bookmarks and sticker


    We’re excited to announce the new range of bookmarks and postcards as well as a sticker for the Barney Bubbles Shop.

    ++ The seven postcards each measure 10.5 x 15cm ++

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  • Ultra-rare Barney Bubbles artworks on view as Bonhams auction ends tomorrow

    Auction house Bonhams’ sale of ultra-rare and collectible original artworks by Barney Bubbles ends tomorrow at 12noon BST (British Summer Time).

    ++ Artwork for a poster for a 1979 Christmas concert at Birmingham International Arena. Barney Bubbles playfully inserted the name of his friend Cynthia Lole as the promoter ++

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  • Welcome to the Barney Bubbles website

    Welcome to the all-new Barney Bubbles website, the online celebration of the late graphics genius now recognised as one of the world’s greatest designers, particularly for music; his wily and constantly innovative approaches reverberate through the wider fields of art, design and visual culture to this day.

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  • The Wild World of Barney Bubbles is published by Thames & Hudson on June 30

    The Wild World of Barney Bubbles, is published around the world on June 30 this year by Thames & Hudson.

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