Mark Farrow

On one of those various memes and internet questioners that are on the internet, I remember one of them asked "have you ever bought an album just because the album art was cool"

Honestly, no, but if it was designed by Mark Farrow, I probably would. Most people don't know graphic designers by name. It almost has a communist/socialist feel to it.. art for the people by the people. Who ever designed the Chex Mix you just ate this morning didn't sign their name to the box.(for good reason). Mark Farrow isn't one of those designers.

My love of music and design are married. Since it is called the music business, of course there is marketing involved. Which means cover art and packaging design. Some artists like New Order and the Pet Shop Boys clearly "get it", some who you think would be more design savvy like Madonna hasn't really produced any stunning album art or packaging.  And well Britney Spears...














The 25+ year collaboration of designer Mark Farrow and The Pet Shop Boys has been a beautiful one. Who can forget the wildly inventive "Lego/Manhole cover" design for PSB's Vary? The beauty marriage of simple type and simple image on Please and Behaviour. Or committing music marketing blasphemy with leaving the bands photo off the cover with an amazing typographic treatment in vibrant yellow. Clearly someone squawked, because later expanded editions did have the Boys on there.

 

 

Farrow worked for more than just PSB, but also worked with Kylie Minogue, Spiritualized, Manic Street Preachers, and Orbital.

 

Minimalism,sophisticated typography, stark color on white fields, and innovative untraditional innovative packaging are all hallmarks of Mark Farrow and his Design company over the past 30 years.

Not only have they worked in the arena of album art, but have done environmental design, logo design, and even the graphics on a sail boat for the Volvo Ocean Race.

Once a freelance designer for the seminal Factory Records/Hacienda that Peter Saville (who will be featured in a later article), Farrow broke out on his own.

And he's a huge fan of Gill Sans.. a man after my own heart.