| So who is Biggles?
Once, when he was seventeen, he walked into college wearing his father's flying jacket, as he took off his motorcycle helmet, someone said "Ah, morning Biggles" and the nickname stuck. So much so, that twentysix years later everyone calls him Biggles. As with so many names, it fits. He is a slightly eccentric English gentleman, going on polymorph.
Originally trained as a graphic designer, he went to the Royal College of Art where "I spent a lot of time playing on the toys in other departments as well as doing graphics". The result was a person of very diverse interests and talents. Biggles developed a working knowledge of graphic and 3-D design, as well as specialist knowledge of Renaissance perspective, photography and interactive design.
He did not want to be pigeon holed, and so became a freelance artist/designer. This indeed has led to a varied career. When working as a creative director with the Swiss ad agency Stolder and Suter, he became involved in product design. This was to become Swatch, then later, he worked on Pop Swatch. He then started teaching one day a week, and still does, at one of Britain's leading art colleges. "I find teaching intensely rewarding, particularly when you build a student up or inspire a great piece of work. It's also a perfect way to give something back to a wonderful profession".
His graphic work spreads across the 2D-3D boundary in a typically varied manner, from health education booklets and go faster stripes on Mycenaean galleys to rock albums. He particularly enjoys making 3D illustration, typography and interactive design. Between projects he organises events, happenings, and occasionally makes sculpture both commissioned and non commissioned.
His greatest love is making what he describes as odd objects and things that do things. "The world is full of boring utilitarian items. I believe just about everything can be made to be fun. I love to make the extra ordinary out of the ordinary". As for the future "In my ideal world I would like to spend the majority of my time making odd objects by commission for films, advertising, interiors and as very special presents. The rest of the time doing graphics and teaching".
The commonality to his work has to be flexibility, wit and humour and his belief that "all forms of art and design relate". So, he has been described as a designer, an artist, an inventor and of course, Biggles. | | |
