A row of books arranged in a rainbow gradient from blue to red. The spines feature a list of names and titles, including “P.D. James” and “John le Carré”.

Graphic Design: Brilliant book cover designer David Pearson feted at new show

Words: Rob Alderson
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Date: 24 April 2014; Work
Graphic Design

As mainstream publishers go, few enjoy a design standing as respected as Penguin, and that is largely down to David Pearson. His brilliance will be given due prominence at a show at London’s Kemistry Gallery next month with his bold and communicative book jacket design for Penguin taking centre stage, alongside work for Éditions Zulma and a few other clients.

It’s the perfect equilibrium between idea and execution that makes David’s design work stand out from the rest, finding as he does the perfect visual treatment for the concept, be it witty, clever or surprising. And with a pedigree that ranges from being a member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI) to multiple D&AD awards, this is a chance to immerse yourself in the talents of one of the UK’s top designers.

David Pearson at Kemistry Gallery runs from 8 May until 28 June.

A book cover for Albert Camus’ “The Myth of Sisyphus”, featuring a large black diamond on a white textured background. A line of text along the diamond’s edge reads “There is but one truly serious philosophical problem and that is suicide”. — Above
David Pearson: Albert Camus – The Myth of Sisyphus

A book cover for Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Nature, published by Penguin Books as part of the “Great Ideas” series. The word “NATURE” is spelled out in large, ornate letters made of green foliage and vines. The phrase “In the woods is perpetual youth” repeats in a border around the edge of the cover. — Above
David Pearson: Ralph Waldo Emerson – Nature

A book cover featuring a black and white illustration of a seated, grieving figure with a crown of thorns. The title reads “The Horrors and Absurdities of Religion” above a quote about mankind growing out of religion. Below the figure, the author is listed as “Arthur Schopenhauer” followed by a longer quote and the “Penguin Books Great Ideas” imprint. — Above
David Pearson: Arthur Schopenhauer – The Horrors and Absurdities of Religion

A book cover with a textured white surface. In the top left corner, an ornate purple and grey floral border frames the title “AN APOLOGY FOR IDLERS”. — Above
David Pearson: Robert Louis Stevenson – An Apology For Idlers

A book cover for Sigmund Freud’s “The Wolf Man”. Bold, geometric typography in yellow and dark grey reads “Penguin Books Great Ideas” and “Why are the wolves white?”. — Above
David Pearson: Sigmund Frued – The Wolf Man

The cover of a book titled “Multiples”, with the title repeated nine times in a 3D typographic style. Above the title, text reads “12 stories in 18 languages by 61 authors”, and below it, “Edited by Adam Thirlwell”. — Above
David Pearson: Adam Thirlwell – Multiples

The cover of a Penguin Books edition of Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell. The design features a bright orange background with a white central band containing the title and author in black blocks. — Above
David Pearson: George Orwell: Nineteen Eighty Four

A book cover with a black background and bright pink typography. The central text reads “No More Rules” in a distorted, circular arrangement, surrounded by the words “Graphic Design and Postmodernism” and the author “Rick Poynor”. — Above
David Pearson: Rick Poynor – No More Rules

A book cover with a dark, wood-grain texture. White, scratchy lettering reads “George Orwell” at the top, followed by the phrase “Such, such were the joys”. — Above
David Pearson: George Orwell – Such, Such Were The Joys

A book cover featuring bold, black typographic elements that form the word “Vault”. Diagonal bands of purple and pale green overlap the text, containing the words “David Rose” and “An Anti-Novel”. — Above
David Pearson: David Rose – Vault

A typographic poster for the book The Road by Cormac McCarthy. The bold, distressed text reads “Cormac McCarthy The Road” above a quote from The Times: “A work of such terrible beauty that you will struggle to look away”. — Above
David Pearson: Cormac McCarthy – The Road

A long row of thin books or pamphlets arranged in a rainbow gradient from deep blue to bright orange. Each spine features a name and a title in small, white vertical text. — Above
David Pearson: Pocket Penguins (spines)

Further Info

www.typeasimage.com
www.kemistrygallery.co.uk

About the Author

Rob Alderson

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Rob Alderson is a freelance writer, editor and strategist. He was previously editor-in-chief of It’s Nice That and WePresent, and editor of Design Week. He publishes the newsletter Undo, which tries to make sense of how AI is changing design work, the design process and the design industry.

Graphic Design: Brilliant book cover designer David Pearson feted at new show

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