Nick Bax
Encyclopedia
Nick Bax is a British designer whose twenty year practice spans the fields of graphics, creative direction and art.
, England in 1970. He studied art and design at Rotherham College of Arts & Technology from 1986–1988 and
graphic design at North Essex School of Art (Colchester Institute
) from 1988–1990.
and helped to establish it as one of the most influential graphic design companies in the world. Activity during this time was primarily for the music industry, including record covers for Pop Will Eat Itself
, The Orb
and Warp Records
.
, EMI
, Phonogram
and Simon Cowell
(Arista).
in July 1993, designing covers for key British artists such as Aphex Twin
, Pulp
and Supergrass
. He also produced artwork for record labels including Warp Records
and React, and the groundbreaking video games Wipeout
and Grand Theft Auto
. Other projects included packaging for Sony Aibo
, rebrand of Nickelodeon
, design of a TDR Swatch, MTV
Qoob project, a visual identity for The University of Sheffield
and an invitation to design the flag of Slovenia.
During this time, Bax exhibited with TDR
at various galleries and locations around the world including the Barbican Centre
(London), Museum of Contemporary Art
(Barcelona), Passage de Retz (Paris), Electraglide Festival (Tokyo), and Artists Space (New York). He also contributed to the TDR
issue of Emigre magazine
(#29, 1994), which is now part of the permanent design collection in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York
.
Live visual performances by Human, known as the HCI (Human-Computer Interaction) series, have taken place at various venues around the world including Liege, Belgium (with Monsieur Magnetik), Ministry of Sound, London, Warehouse Project, Manchester, WMC Miami, Hyperspace, Budapest and Parc La Pau, Barcelona (with Dubfire
).
As part of the 2010 Sensoria Festival, Human performed 'Music For Real Airports' with musicians The Black Dog
at the Millennium Galleries in Sheffield, UK. In 2010 Human collaborated with artist Paul Evans and poet Chris Jones on the exhibition 'Origin010' at the Sheffield Institute of Art Gallery.
The exhibition 'namuH: Humanstudio Selected Projects' took place at the Calm&Punk Gallery, Tokyo, Japan, in December 2010.
In Feb 2011, Volume 4 of the printed series 'Gasbook Pop' was dedicated to Human's non-commercial work.
In May 2011, Human designed and co-curated the exhibition 'Inhabiting Space' with a team of academics from the University of Sheffield
.
'The Art of SCI+TEC', an exhibition of Human's designs for the SCI+TEC music label took place at Corretger5 Gallery (Barcelona) during the annual Sónar Festival
, June 2011.
Human have completed design projects for many organisations including MTV
, Roewe (China), Swatch
, Kilgour, TIGI, University of Sheffield
, Fitriani, Arts Council
, Toni&Guy and Urban Splash
.
In 2009, Bax succeeded Peter Saville as art consultant for the iconic London tailors Kilgour.
Bax is a fellow of the Royal Society of Art (FRSA) and a visiting lecturer in design and visual communication at various universities and institutions. He is also an advisor on cultural engagement for the University of Sheffield
.
Early life
Nick Bax was born in HuddersfieldHuddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
, England in 1970. He studied art and design at Rotherham College of Arts & Technology from 1986–1988 and
graphic design at North Essex School of Art (Colchester Institute
Colchester Institute
Colchester Institute is a large provider of further and higher education based in the town of Colchester, and includes the Centre for Music and Performing Arts, Centre for Hospitality and Food Studies, and the Professional Training Centre. Higher Education courses are accredited by the University...
) from 1988–1990.
The Designers Republic (1990–92)
In 1990 Bax became a member of The Designers Republic (TDR)The Designers Republic
The Designers Republic was a graphic design studio, founded on 14 July 1986 by Ian Anderson, and based in Sheffield, England. It was known for its anti-establishment aesthetics, while simultaneously embracing brash consumerism and the uniform style of corporate brands, such as Orange and Coca-Cola...
and helped to establish it as one of the most influential graphic design companies in the world. Activity during this time was primarily for the music industry, including record covers for Pop Will Eat Itself
Pop Will Eat Itself
Pop Will Eat Itself are an English alternative rock band, originally formed in Stourbridge in 1986, with members from Birmingham, Coventry and the Black Country. Initially known as a Grebo act, their style changed to incorporate sample driven indie and industrial rock...
, The Orb
The Orb
Throughout 1989, the Orb, along with Martin Glover, developed the musical genre of ambient house through the use of a diverse array of samples and recordings. The culmination of its musical work came toward the end of the year when the group recorded a session for John Peel on BBC Radio 1...
and Warp Records
Warp Records
Warp, commonly referred to as Warp Records, is a pioneering independent British record label, founded in Sheffield in 1989, notable for discovering some of the more enduring artists in electronic music....
.
Mainartery (1992–93)
In February 1992 Bax was recruited by Mainartery, London, where he worked for 18 months, designing for artists signed to SonySony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
, EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, Phonogram
Phonogram Records
Phonogram Records was started in 1962 as a joint venture between Philips Records and Deutsche Grammophon. In 1972, Phonogram was merged with Polydor Records into PolyGram....
and Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
(Arista).
The Designers Republic (1993–2007)
Bax returned to TDRThe Designers Republic
The Designers Republic was a graphic design studio, founded on 14 July 1986 by Ian Anderson, and based in Sheffield, England. It was known for its anti-establishment aesthetics, while simultaneously embracing brash consumerism and the uniform style of corporate brands, such as Orange and Coca-Cola...
in July 1993, designing covers for key British artists such as Aphex Twin
Aphex Twin
Richard David James , best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music"...
, Pulp
Pulp (band)
Pulp are an English alternative rock band formed in Sheffield in 1978. Their lineup consists of Jarvis Cocker , Russell Senior , Candida Doyle , Mark Webber , Steve Mackey and Nick Banks ....
and Supergrass
Supergrass
Supergrass was an English alternative rock band from Oxford. The band consisted of brothers Gaz and Rob Coombes , Mick Quinn and Danny Goffey ....
. He also produced artwork for record labels including Warp Records
Warp Records
Warp, commonly referred to as Warp Records, is a pioneering independent British record label, founded in Sheffield in 1989, notable for discovering some of the more enduring artists in electronic music....
and React, and the groundbreaking video games Wipeout
Wipeout (video game)
Wipeout is the first in a series of futuristic racing video games developed and published by Psygnosis. It was originally released in 1995 for Sony PlayStation and PCs running MS-DOS, and in 1996 for Sega Saturn...
and Grand Theft Auto
Grand Theft Auto (video game)
Grand Theft Auto is a 1997 action-adventure video game created by British games developer DMA Design and published by BMG Interactive. The game allows the player to take on the role of a criminal who can roam freely around a big city. Various missions are set for completion, such as bank...
. Other projects included packaging for Sony Aibo
AIBO
AIBO was one of several types of robotic pets designed and manufactured by Sony...
, rebrand of Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
, design of a TDR Swatch, MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
Qoob project, a visual identity for The University of Sheffield
University of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
and an invitation to design the flag of Slovenia.
During this time, Bax exhibited with TDR
The Designers Republic
The Designers Republic was a graphic design studio, founded on 14 July 1986 by Ian Anderson, and based in Sheffield, England. It was known for its anti-establishment aesthetics, while simultaneously embracing brash consumerism and the uniform style of corporate brands, such as Orange and Coca-Cola...
at various galleries and locations around the world including the Barbican Centre
Barbican Centre
The Barbican Centre is the largest performing arts centre in Europe. Located in the City of London, England, the Centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhibitions. It also houses a library, three restaurants, and a conservatory...
(London), Museum of Contemporary Art
Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art
The Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art is situated in the Plaça dels Àngels, in El Raval, Ciutat Vella, Barcelona, Spain. The museum opened to the public on November 28, 1995. Its current director is Bartomeu Marí . Previous directors were Daniel Giralt-Miracle , Miguel Molins , Manuel J...
(Barcelona), Passage de Retz (Paris), Electraglide Festival (Tokyo), and Artists Space (New York). He also contributed to the TDR
The Designers Republic
The Designers Republic was a graphic design studio, founded on 14 July 1986 by Ian Anderson, and based in Sheffield, England. It was known for its anti-establishment aesthetics, while simultaneously embracing brash consumerism and the uniform style of corporate brands, such as Orange and Coca-Cola...
issue of Emigre magazine
Emigre magazine
Emigre was a graphic design magazine published by Emigre Graphics between 1984 and 2005; it was first published in 1984 in San Francisco, California, USA...
(#29, 1994), which is now part of the permanent design collection in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
.
Humanstudio (2007–present)
In 2007 Bax founded Humanstudio (aka Human), a multi-disciplinary design team.Live visual performances by Human, known as the HCI (Human-Computer Interaction) series, have taken place at various venues around the world including Liege, Belgium (with Monsieur Magnetik), Ministry of Sound, London, Warehouse Project, Manchester, WMC Miami, Hyperspace, Budapest and Parc La Pau, Barcelona (with Dubfire
Dubfire
Ali Shirazinia, commonly known by his stage name Dubfire, is an Iranian American house and techno DJ and producer. Prior to his solo career, Dubfire was one-half of the four-time nominated and Grammy Award-winning duo Deep Dish...
).
As part of the 2010 Sensoria Festival, Human performed 'Music For Real Airports' with musicians The Black Dog
Black Dog Productions
The Black Dog was founded by Ken Downie along with Ed Handley and Andy Turner. Widely regarded as legends, the group are pioneers who, along with acts like Autechre, Aphex Twin, µ-ziq and LFO, came to define the techno movement known as intelligent dance music in the early 1990s.-Early career:In...
at the Millennium Galleries in Sheffield, UK. In 2010 Human collaborated with artist Paul Evans and poet Chris Jones on the exhibition 'Origin010' at the Sheffield Institute of Art Gallery.
The exhibition 'namuH: Humanstudio Selected Projects' took place at the Calm&Punk Gallery, Tokyo, Japan, in December 2010.
In Feb 2011, Volume 4 of the printed series 'Gasbook Pop' was dedicated to Human's non-commercial work.
In May 2011, Human designed and co-curated the exhibition 'Inhabiting Space' with a team of academics from the University of Sheffield
University of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
.
'The Art of SCI+TEC', an exhibition of Human's designs for the SCI+TEC music label took place at Corretger5 Gallery (Barcelona) during the annual Sónar Festival
Sónar
Sónar is an annual three-day music festival held in Barcelona, Spain. It is described officially as a festival of Advanced Music and Multimedia Art. Music is by far the main aspect of the festival....
, June 2011.
Human have completed design projects for many organisations including MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, Roewe (China), Swatch
Swatch
Swatch is a brand name for a line of wrist watches from the Swatch Group, a Swiss conglomerate with vertical control of the production of Swiss watches and related products...
, Kilgour, TIGI, University of Sheffield
University of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
, Fitriani, Arts Council
Arts Council England
Arts Council England was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council of Great Britain was divided into three separate bodies for England, Scotland and Wales. It is a non-departmental public body of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport...
, Toni&Guy and Urban Splash
Urban Splash
Urban Splash is a British company which regenerates decaying industrial warehouses, mills, Victorian terraced houses and other buildings. These buildings have mainly been converted into housing...
.
In 2009, Bax succeeded Peter Saville as art consultant for the iconic London tailors Kilgour.
Bax is a fellow of the Royal Society of Art (FRSA) and a visiting lecturer in design and visual communication at various universities and institutions. He is also an advisor on cultural engagement for the University of Sheffield
University of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
.
External links
- Music For Real Airports With musicians The Black Dog
- Origin010 Human collaboration with artist Paul Evans and poet Chris Jones