Process: The Working Practices of Barney Bubbles

An exhibition investigating the working practices of the cult graphic designer Barney Bubbles is being staged as part of the London Design Festival.

The show - at London's Chelsea Space - will present for the first time original artefacts and artwork, sketchbooks, student notebooks, equipment and photography relating to the inventive and audacious designs he produced over the two decades up to his death in 1983.

Real name Colin Fulcher (b. Whitton, west London, 1941), Barney Bubbles studied at Twickenham art school and was senior graphic designer at Conran Design 1965-68. Subsequently he focused on the music industry, designing record sleeves, posters, advertising, videos and ephemera for such clients as Stiff Records, Billy Bragg, Elvis Costello, The Damned, Ian Dury, Hawkwind, Nick Lowe and The Specials.

Among the exhibits are sketches and proofs for a range of unreleased designs; original artwork for Barney Bubbles' last project, the Ian Dury album 4000 Weeks Holiday; and a never-before publicly displayed 7ft tall Chuck Berry mobile sculpture created as a private commission for a music industry client.

Process is curated by Paul Gorman, author of the Barney Bubbles monograph Reasons To Be Cheerful; the show will coincide with the launch of the revised second edition which includes 50-plus new images, many fresh interviews and a welter of additional information.