Political satire in the age of social media
CR speaks to a cartoonist, illustrator and collage-based satirist to find out how depictions of political figures can change, specifically Boris Johnson, and the impact of social media on political satire
A new book documents Paul Thomas Anderson’s 30-year creative journey
Little White Lies has collaborated with publisher Abrams to create Masterworks, an illustrated tome packed with archival photos, stills, essays and interviews all about the director’s films
How I Got Here: Illustrator Serge Bloch
The French illustrator and author talks to us about why he entered the world of illustration at just the right time and why humour is more important than ever
Home brewing gets a fresh face in Studio Blackburn’s latest project
The London-based studio was tasked with creating a brand identity for The Greater Good Fresh Brewing Co and its innovative new brewing device – aptly named The Pinter
Wednesday Holmes on illustration and activism
As a non-binary queer artist, Wednesday Holmes’ work is tied to activism. Here, the illustrator talks about why sharing personal stories online and on social media can help people feel connected
Creative Review Annual 2021 is open for entries!
Our showcase of world-changing creativity is open for entries now – with a deadline of December 11. Find out all the details of how, why and where to enter here
Latest from CR
Designing TV titles for the streaming age
As TV and streaming services fight for viewers in an ever-more competitive landscape, design matters. Here, we look at the role of opening sequences in the era of the ‘skip intro’ button, and examine their role in hooking in viewers
Behind the scenes at Spitting Image
Satirical puppet show Spitting Image is back after a 24-year hiatus, and features everyone from President Trump’s tweeting anus to a James Corden-Cats hybrid. Here, we speak to the creatives behind the programme’s unique brand of public service satire
Photographer Jon Ervin explores masculinity and identity in his projects
Inspired by the everyday and the rural landscapes of his childhood, Jon Ervin creates thought-provoking images for personal projects and sleek fashion editorials
Photographer Paul Graham and the Great North Road
Originally published in 1983, Graham’s first photography book A1: The Great North Road is being republished by Mack. Here he reflects on the project nearly 40 years later
How I Work: Animator Will Child
Director, animator and claymation artist Will Child has transformed football managers, hip hop stars and pop culture figures into irreverent plasticine models. He talks to us about his “janky” animations
My Breakthrough Moment: Kevin Cummins
Having shot some of the biggest bands in the world and worked as the NME’s chief photographer for a decade, Kevin Cummins reflects on why his 2009 book Manchester: Looking For The Light Through The Pouring Rain marked a distinct turning point in his career
Google’s new Gmail logo says goodbye to the red envelope
Google has launched Google Workspace, a new umbrella name to house all of its productivity apps, and the rebrand includes an update to Gmail’s classic red envelope
Trevor Paglen on AI, surveillance and art
The artist talks to us about his artworks that reveal the “jaw-droppingly appalling” methods underpinning AI datasets, and why he’s turning the lens back on the public in his new exhibition
Mandy Barker on documenting an ocean of plastic
Through her beautiful images of manmade waste, photographer Mandy Barker has highlighted the ugly truth about plastic pollution. Rachael Steven talks to her about her creative process
Alec Soth’s venture into the great indoors
As his photo series I Know How Furiously Your Heart is Beating goes on show at Foam in Amsterdam, Alec Soth discusses the intimacy of photographing people at home and how the project has taken on a new metaphorical meaning in these times
It’s architecture … but for dogs
Japan House London’s latest exhibition is a showcase of doggie-friendly architecture, featuring kennels and beds created by some of the biggest names in design
The great logo debate
We’ve recently seen the launch of two major event logos – for the LA 2028 Olympics and the Osaka Expo 2025. The identities have received both jeers and cheers – here we examine why logos evoke such heated debate, and what it says about our relationship with design
My Breakthrough Moment: Flo Ngala
Fresh from her BTS shots of internet-breaking music video WAP, Flo Ngala discusses how an early commission to photograph Cardi B helped her earn her stripes as the artist’s go-to photographer for everything from the Met Gala to her daughter’s first birthday party
How to showcase your work and grow your profile
You’ve done the work, but now what? We speak to illustrator Olimpia Zagnoli and Julie Cook, head of art at Mother London, to get the freelancer and commissioner perspective on how best to get your work and name out there
Stormzy’s new music video is a powerful tribute to real-life superheroes
Directed by Taz Tron Delix, the animated video for Superheroes nods to the Black Lives Matter movement along with famous faces including rapper Dave and author Malorie Blackman
Designing dating apps in the age of coronavirus
The pandemic may have made people wary of going on real-life dates, but dating apps are using the lockdown period as an opportunity to help us nurture our virtual love lives. CR investigates the unstoppable rise of digital dating
What Would I Change: Eddie Opara, Pentagram
Continuing our series exploring what creatives would change about their industries, we speak to Pentagram partner Eddie Opara about anti-racism, the problem with working digitally, and having a more transparent relationship with clients
My Breakthrough Moment: Jon Burgerman
In this series we ask leading creatives to talk about what projects or events kickstarted their careers. Here, artist Jon Burgerman, who has a fondness for googly eyes, talks about how his move to New York City led to a breakthrough in his practice
A new exhibition is celebrating two of hip-hop’s best known imagemakers
Eddie Otchere and Remy Bourdeau have worked with everyone from Biggie Smalls to Skepta in their individual practices. In a new collaborative show at San Mei Gallery, they are presenting their work together as a visual dialogue on hip-hop history
How I Work: Intimacy Coordinator Ita O’Brien
The intimacy coordinator has worked on TV shows including Sex Education, Normal People and I May Destroy You to help actors feel empowered in intimate scenes on screen. She talks about her work and why brands and advertisers need to take notice of it too
How I Got Here: Fvckrender
From a restaurant job to commissions for the likes of Dior and Lil Nas X, Frederic Duquette – the man behind Fvckrender – tells CR how he taught himself to make surreal, mind-bending digital art
Beavertown Brewery on building a craft beer brand
Beavertown Brewery creative director Nick Dwyer tells CR about the artful chaos that drives the craft beer brand, and how it’s built its identity on “spacemen, skeletons, skulls and weird shit exploding”
Cássio Vasconcellos’ aerial photos explore the idea of space in Covid-19
The photographic compositions bringing together dense collections of people, materials and scenes are the focus of a new book reflecting on the ‘distancing era’
The diversity challenge: how to break into and stay in the creative industries
The jobs market for new graduates is tough in general at the moment, but is even more challenging for BIPOC graduates, says Leonie Annor-Owiredu. Here she offers some advice for what both grads and the industry can do to help
Celebrating the social media challenge that got us through lockdown
The Getty Museum Challenge was a firm favourite during lockdown, challenging people to recreate some of the world’s most famous artworks using only what they had to hand. A new book documents some of the best efforts
Creative Inspiration
Images and ideas to feed your imagination
Advice for Creatives
Expert tips on how to navigate a creative career
The Creative Workplace
How flexible working is changing the creative process
Creativity and Coronavirus
How the creative industries are responding to the pandemic
Reshaping the face of tech with Catty Taylor
Through her inclusive tech collective Digi-Gxl and the Institute of Digital Fashion — a URL × IRL initiative shaking up the fashion industry — artist Catty Taylor is pushing the social and cultural boundaries of technology
Inside the surreal world of Hiro Murai
Hiro Murai’s dream-like vision has produced unforgettable imagery for artists including Childish Gambino and FKA twigs. Here, the filmmaker discusses the joys of collaboration, exploring the realm of television with the series Atlanta, and why This is America is an anomaly in music videos
The life and work of Margaret Calvert
A new display at the Design Museum is looking back at some of Margaret Calvert’s most enduring designs. Here, we speak to frequent collaborator Henrik Kubel and curator Rachel Hajek about how the designer’s work has become synonymous with British identity
Exposure: Naomi Wood
For her latest Exposure column, art director Gem Fletcher profiles the work of Naomi Wood, who examines the complexities of motherhood in her series I Wake To Listen
David Byrne’s irreverent illustrations muse on life during Covid
Pace Gallery is hosting an exhibition both online and in its New York space showcasing 50 hand-drawn ‘dingbats’ created by musician and artist David Byrne
Niklas Wesner’s line-based works pull from his dreams and childhood
Inspired by the comics, films and manga he grew up with, the illustrator wants his ambiguous images to make people feel again
YouTube Advertising
How fashion and style-focused brands can better connect with audiences on YouTube
As the popularity of fashion, beauty and lifestyle videos on YouTube continues to rise, brands are finding deeper, more meaningful ways to engage people.
How design and advertising is helping New York rebuild
Charles Fulford, ECD at teledentistry brand Candid, has created a campaign to encourage New Yorkers to keep smiling. Here he talks about how the city has been adjusting to life with Covid and the importance of design in hard times
Creative Collaborators: Tesco and Wolff Olins
As part of a new series examining what makes for a successful creative partnership, we speak to Tesco’s Simon Threadkell and Wolff Olins’ Chris Moody about bringing the brand back to life
Greenpeace follows up Rang-tan with meat takedown
The environmental organisation turns its focus to industrial meat production as the root of deforestation in a new short voiced by Narcos actor Wagner Moura
Designing democracy: A visual history of the ballot paper
Launched to coincide with the upcoming US election, The Cooper Union’s new exhibition explores design’s historic power of persuasion in how we choose to vote
D&AD President Naresh Ramchandani on activism
The Pentagram partner and newly appointed D&AD President discusses his ambition to respond to environmental and social issues in his new role
In partnership with Facebook & Instagram
On Brief: Museum of Happiness x Hannah Jacobs
Our On Brief project pairs creative talent with startups, non-profits and community groups to create scroll-stopping visuals for Facebook and Instagram. Here we take a look at Hannah Jacobs’ collaboration with Museum of Happiness
In partnership with Facebook & Instagram
Great Work: Defected Records’ virtual music festival
The house label surprised dance music fans with a series of live streams – starting with a 12-hour performance broadcast from Ministry of Sound
In partnership with Facebook & Instagram
Great Work: WWF’s Black Friday Twist
The wildlife charity put a new spin on Black Friday sales promotions, with a series of Facebook ads urging consumers to adopt animals which are endangered or at risk
In partnership with Facebook & Instagram
On Brief: Help Refugees x Luis Mazon
Our On Brief initiative pairs emerging talent with startups, charities and community groups to create scroll-stopping visuals for Facebook and Instagram. Here we take a look at Luis Mazon’s work for Help Refugees
In partnership with Facebook & Instagram
Great Work: Specsavers, Don’t Lose the Picture
The optician chain used AR to illustrate the effects of common eye conditions in a campaign to promote free eye tests
In partnership with Facebook & Instagram
Charlotte May on her vibrant still lifes
Our New Talent series highlights visual creatives who are sharing great work on Facebook and Instagram. Here we talk to photographer Charlotte May about her colourful images
In partnership with Facebook & Instagram
On Brief: Freddie’s Flowers x Charlotte May
Our On Brief initiative pairs emerging talent with startups, charities and community groups to create scroll-stopping visuals for Facebook and Instagram. Here we take a look at Charlotte May’s work for Freddie’s Flowers
In partnership with Facebook & Instagram
Oliver Sin on his playful animations
Our New Talent series highlights visual creatives who are sharing great work on Facebook and Instagram. Here we talk to Cheltenham-based animator and former designer Oliver Sin about his work
