Shipley Art Gallery displays 70 Years of Penguin Design

Written by Benjamin Costanzo Tuesday, 26 July 2011 16:11

Gateshead, UK -  An exciting exhibition celebrating 70 years of iconic Penguin book cover design is on show at the Shipley Art Gallery, Gateshead through 31 May, 2009. Drawing on material from the Penguin archives and the University of Bristol, and created in collaboration with the V&A Museum in London, the display will show how Penguin has responded to - and influenced - changing trends in British culture.

Among hundreds of items on display will be classic orange fiction paperbacks, the striking monochrome cover of Ulysses and the menacing design of Anthony Burgess's Clockwork Orange. The display will also include original drawings of the Penguin logo and original design layout for the classic orange striped cover.

Amy Barker, curator of the Shipley Art Gallery says:

Penguin’s distinctive approach to cover design and typography was equally advanced and has become an integral part of publishing and graphic design history.

Since 1935 each Penguin book cover has perfectly captured the culture of its time. The story begins with the simple bands of colour and the classic Gill Sans typeface - a formula that was rigorously applied for many years. A major revolution came in the 1960s with creative rule-breaking, such as the publication of The Medium is the Massage where a printer's error was incorporated into the title. Penguin design has been brought right up to date with the innovative Great Ideas series, short-listed for the Design Museum’s Designer of the Year award in 2005.

The exhibition is rich in original artwork throughout, and the examples of hand-drawn roughs, corrected proofs and intriguing designer’s notes bring the finished designs to life. The display will also include a dramatic bank of hundreds of Penguin book covers.

The exhibition will also feature a display of Puffin books on loan from Seven Stories, the Centre for Children’s Books. There will be a lively programme of family activities running alongside the exhibition. Shipley Art Gallery is open Monday – Saturday 10am – 5pm and Sunday 2pm – 5pm. Free entry. Shipley Art Gallery is managed by Tyne & Wear Museums on behalf of Gateshead Council.

Visit The Shipley Art Gallery at : www.twmuseums.org.uk/shipley/