Name Vaughan Oliver Role Graphic designer | ||
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Nominations Grammy Award for Best Recording Package Similar People Storm Thorgerson, Roger Dean, Jeff Anderson | ||
The Making of The Pixies Minotaur The Artwork
Vaughan Oliver - 8x8 London
Vaughan Oliver (born 1957) is a British graphic designer based in Epsom, south of London. Oliver is most noted for his work with graphic design studios 23 Envelope and v23. Both studios maintained a close relationship with record label 4AD between 1982 and 1998 and were to give distinct visual identities for the 4AD releases by many bands, including Mojave 3, Lush, Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance, The Breeders, This Mortal Coil, Pale Saints, Pixies, and Throwing Muses. Outside of 4AD, Oliver has also done sleeve design for such artists as David Sylvian, The Golden Palominos, and Bush.
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History
23 Envelope consisted of Vaughan Oliver (graphic design and typography) and Nigel Grierson (photography). Together, they created the artwork for almost all 4AD releases until 1987. Grierson left 23 Envelope in 1988. At that time, Oliver continued to work for 4AD under the studio name v23, collaborating with Chris Bigg, Paul McMenamin, Kees Hubers, Timothy O'Donnell, Tim Vary, Adrian Philpott, Simon Larbalestier, Marc Atkins and others.
In 1994, many of those that had collaborated with Oliver over the previous decade contributed to an illustrated catalogue for the retrospective exhibition of his work held at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles, This Rimy River. Recollections of the v23 design experience were provided by individuals such as v23 collaborator Chris Bigg, design writer Rick Poynor, and art critic Ian McKay who frames Oliver's work in a fine art context. Like so many publications produced by v23, the catalogue quickly became a collectors item.
In 2011, Oliver was awarded an honorary Master of Arts from the University for the Creative Arts, where he teaches on the Epsom campus as a Visiting Professor.
