Founded in 2004, YES is an independent commercial art studio based in London. The work of Simon Earith and James Musgrave, the pair also work alongside various collaborators and associates. YES believe every project should have a unique character and language defined by collaboration, research and development. “We use craft, design and technology to make distinctive work with a strong sense of purpose and identity”.
It all makes sense when you think about it, but that doesn’t deter from the high caliber of work that is consistent throughout YES’ portfolio.
S: Work-wise we’re continuing with the Warp20 branding which we’ve done in collaboration with Dan Holdsworth. We’re also working on a number of books that are in various stages of production, an identity project, and a website for photographer Jonathan de Villiers. At the end of the week I’m going to Hay-on Wye in Wales to have a rest and look around some bookshops.
J: I need get to the bottom of a very long to-do list before I head off to Japan.
S: My Dad’s a design and technology teacher so they’ve got a pretty good idea.
J: Something to do with using Photoshop.
S: I don’t know if I look like anyone in particular, but I have been told I look like a bear.
J: Apparently Toby Maguire or Matthew Perry, I can’t really see the resemblance.
S: Is escapism a sense?
J: Floating
S: I once had a conversation about cheese with the actor Billy Zane.
J: I’m a qualified canoeist
S: Absolutely, it always counts for more if you don’t treat it as a passive experience.
J: I’ve always been a firm believer in self-teaching. The great thing about going to art college is the opportunity to do pretty much what you want for 3 years.
S: Antidisestablishmentareanism
J: I used to have problems spelling dictionary.com, this is not a joke.
S: ‘A man, a plan, a canal — Panama’ reads the same both ways
J: A Paternoster is an continuously moving elevator
S: Hopefully more good work for nice people and plenty of bike riding in between.
J: Fusion power.
S: Have a serious chat with Plan A and find out what its problem is.
J: Quietly panic.
As people familiar with the work of YES will know, we’re quite partial to an analogue process or two. This IBM corporate presentation from 1975 is ostensibly about ‘the future’. Looking back at the images now gives an insight into design and typography before the advent of desktop computers, they’ve also got a nice Super-8 feel and are actually very funny.
Collectively YES have been thinking about the blog format and wondering what we might do with it. The product of our musing is Magic Realism. It exists simply as a ‘mixtape’ of art, photography and other visual material that we connect together. Image shown above: Peter Saville ’Unknown Pleasure’, 2003.
Reference Library is an impeccable blog run by a chap called Andy Beach. It’s just about the best collection of cultural obscurities, objects, art, miscellany and curiosities we can imagine. Bookmark it now.
Hektor is a one-half performance/installation, and the other half giant-size graffiti robot gone native. The real beauty of the thing is when it’s tested to its limits and the freak-outs that occasionally happen. It’s been around for a while now but we thought it deserved an honourable mention on It’s Nice That. Hektor was created by Jürg Lehni and Uli Franke.
People mostly know the superstar couple Charles and Ray Eames for the amazing furniture they designed. Actually they were true multi-disciplinarians, as proven by this film they made in 1977, entitled ‘Powers of Ten’. It opens with a picnic in a park, before taking the viewer on a journey out to the edge of the universe, and then back to a carbon atom inside the hand of the man.
