Welcome to big Active. We are a D&AD award winning creative consultancy specializing ina art direction, graphic design and the representation of leading image-makers.

Will Sweeney for Lodown Issue #2

Will Sweeney has created an animated cover for the second iPad issue of Lodown Magazine. As well as an interview, videos and images from Will, the issue also features Lars Von Trier, Jon Rafman and Craig Ward. Available now from the iTunes App Store. Animation by Dan Britt.

The How Original Show by Parra

Currently running at HVW8 Gallery in Los Angeles is a new solo show by Parra. For the exhibition, Parra decamped from Amsterdam to LA to create an new body of original work, including his first watercolour pieces, a collaboration with Nicole Pedder. Completely sold out on the opening night, the exhibition is Parra’s only solo show in 2011 as he prepares for a major museum show to open in early 2012. The exhibition runs until 6th November. If you can’t make it, check out Chris Stamp’s video above.

New Work From Mat Maitland

Mat Maitland

We’ve updated Mat Maitland’s portfolio with a selection of new personal work and commercial commissions. See more here.

Jasper Goodall for Johnnie Walker

Jasper Goodall for Johnnie Walker

Johnnie Walker have launched the Jasper Goodall Limited Edition of their famous Black Label whisky. Limited to 1000 hand-signed bottles, the project saw Jasper create his own version of the whisky’s Striding Man logo. On reinterpreting the iconic figure, in use since 1908, Jasper said I knew almost straight away what I wanted to do. I recalled, during a visit to a whisky distillery years ago, the guide telling me how slowly, over time, a small amount of whisky evaporates and escapes the barrel, this is known as the ‘angels’ share’ and I felt that rendering the striding man in ’smoke’ would be the perfect expression of this concept.

You can pictures of the finished product here.

Will Sweeney for Birdy Nam Nam

Will Sweeney has just completed the artwork for the latest promo for French electronic act Birdy Nam Nam. The video, which accompanies new song Goin’ In, is centred around a cosmic royal wedding in the land of Nam Nam. The video is Will’s latest for the group since The Parachute Ending, which was nominated as one of the 25 YouTube Play / Guggenheim videos, marking the most exceptional talent in online video. You can see more of Will’s animation work here.

Making Music Visible

In addition to our success at the European Design Awards, we are also pleased to announce Mark Ronson’s ‘Record Collection’ has featured in all of this years major design awards. The project was selected for the 2011 Creative Review Annual, nominated as a finalist in the Design Week Awards and chosen to appear in the 49th Edition of the D&AD Annual. To take a closer look at Mark Ronson’s ‘Record Collection’ as well as a selection of projects from our music design portfolio please click here.

Jesse Auersalo’s Suspiria Poster

jesse

Jesse Auersalo’s print for the upcoming Little White Lies LWL70 exhibition has been featured as part of the show preview on the Creative Review website. Also taking part are Big Active’s Siggi Eggertsson and Jim Stoten, whose work we will reveal later this week.

Big Active Win European Design GOLD Award

ED Awards Big Active GOLD

Big Active has just been awarded a Gold Prize at the European Design Awards for our art direction and design work on Mark Ronson’s ‘Record Collection’ album. The awards were announced by Ugne Skonsmanaite at a ceremony held in Vilnius on Saturday. The work was described by this year’s jury as “the perfect way to reference the musician’s influences and the collecting habits of the customer”. This trophy marks the latest in a run of nominations for the project at this years design awards – it was also short listed as a finalist at the Design Week Awards in March, and is currently featured in the 2011 Creative Review Annual. The 2011 European Design Awards book will be published next month.

Parra for Time Out Amsterdam

Time Out Amsterdam / Parra

Parra was commissioned to create the cover for Time Out Amsterdam’s May Art Issue. Taking the theme of ‘art hopping’ to coincide with the Amsterdam Art Fair as well as features on the city’s contemporary art spaces, Parra has created a suitably bouncy cover. The issue also features an interview where Parra discusses his home city, hungover inspiration and ladies with beaks.

Jasper Goodall for PlayStation 3

Jasper Goodall has been invited to create an interactive illustration for Sony’s PS3 platform. As Jasper explains, I had been meaning to create a piece of moving illustration for some time and the PS3 platform provided the ideal space to try this out. Although I was aware that the guys at Studio Output would have to work in PS3 coding language, I wanted to provide them with an animation to demonstrate how my theme should move, which they then had to dismantle and reconstruct in the PS3 code.

Jasper devised the dynamic theme as part of a new feature for PlayStation 3 called The Studio, where users can purchase themes from a range of graphic artists and illustrators. PS3 users can view and purchase the themes from within the console’s PlayStation Store.

Read more on our blog and follow us on Twitter

BABlog.Twitter.Graphic2

The European Design Awards 2011 congratulate Big Active on winning Gold for Mark Ronson’s ‘Record Collection’.

Mark_Ronson-Big_Active

Matt_ Furie_Boss_Burger

Mat_Maitland_Rites

Mimi_Leung_HowU

Will_Sweeney_The_Game

Jim_Stoten_Little_White_Lies

Jasper Goodall Poster Girl

Sanna Annukka iTunes

David Foldvari Wuming

Siggi Eggertsson A Growing Pile of work

Klaus Haapaniemi_Neko

Parra Rockwell

Siggi Eggertsson Cuttroat Caplitalism

Big Active