A is for Anthony. B is for Burrill.

In the space of one interview we move from a minimal design studio to the organised chaos of printers, Adams of Rye.

anthonyburrill.com

Tell us about your background and growing up?

Anthony. I grew up in a small town called Shaw on the outskirts of Manchester where suburbia meets the Pennines. I went to the local comprehensive school where it felt like everybody else was obsessed by football. I missed out on the football thing and spent most of my time in the art department. I was fascinated by the things I saw on the walls there. I was taught by two amazing art teachers; Mr. Brook who had shoulder length hair and would deafen everyone at lunchtime playing his electric guitar and Mr. Cliffe who encouraged me to go to art school. I enrolled at Oldham College of Technology on the art foundation course. That year changed my life completely. I met like minded people who introduced me to music, fashion and clubbing. As a gang we’d visit Manchester City Art Gallery, shop at Affleck’s Palace and head down to The Haçienda on Friday nights, I knew this was the world I wanted to be part of.

After my introduction to the art world at Oldham Tech. I took a degree in Graphic Design at Leeds Polytechnic. It was the late eighties and the last days of radical art school education. The course was run by creative mavericks who encouraged the students to cross disciplines and create work that challenged accepted ideas of visual communication. I loved being at art school and the creative freedom it offered so I applied to The Royal College of Art to continue my student explorations on the MA visual communication course. The atmosphere and approach at The Royal College was much more traditional than the freedoms I enjoyed in Leeds. I initially felt creatively stifled but found an outlet in letterpress typography and animation. It was a huge leap for me personally, coming from the North and suddenly having to navigate my way around this new social environment. But more important than any of my studies was meeting my wife Emma at the college Valentine’s disco. I learnt more from Emma than all my tutors. She taught me self-belief, focus and courage.

We graduated in 1991 and Emma got off to a flying start working in publishing, winning prestigious prizes and organising exhibitions of her work. I took slightly longer to find my feet in the world of work. An early break for me came from MTV who had just set up a London office. I met the creative director, Peter Dougherty who commissioned me to create animations and graphics for the channel. It was an incredible opportunity and showcase for my work that led me into the world of advertising. I worked on TV commercials and press campaigns for clients such as Nike, London Underground and Channel 4. It was fun to see my work out and about popping up on TV, in magazines and on billboards. I also worked on early website projects with my brother-in-law. Kip was the first person I knew who had access to the internet and I’d go round to his flat to explore this strange new interactive world. We made our own site and soon started working with bands and musicians. Our first commission was from German electronic pioneers Kraftwerk.

Emma and I got married, in Las Vegas, and our daughter Rosie was born not long after. This beautiful new arrival changed our lives completely. We both worked at home so shared the parenting responsibilities and somehow managed to juggle work in between. Our son Jack was born in 2000 and our family was complete. It was at that point we decided to add even more fun disruption to our lives and leave London for a quieter life in the country. Emma is originally from Kent so we were already familiar with the county from weekend visits to see her family. We’d always loved Rye so looked around the area for a place to build our new life. We found a small cottage in Wittersham which is half way between Rye and Tenterden. 

Setting the type for our A3 alphabet print at Adams of Rye.

“It’s not an exaggeration to say that Adams of Rye changed my life.”

Work Hard and Be Nice to People

Anthony. While exploring Rye I noticed beautifully printed letterpress posters dotted around the town advertising local events such as church flower festivals and car boot sales. The posters were printed by Adams of Rye and I worked out that hidden behind the shop at 9 The High Street in Rye was a letterpress print works. This discovery was amazing to me. I had used letterpress to print type at college but hadn’t had access to it since graduating. I couldn’t believe my good fortune. The first job I asked Adams to print was a poster with the text ‘WORK HARD & BE NICE TO PEOPLE’, the phrase which I had overheard in a supermarket back in London, felt like it connected with my new life in Rye. The poster has since gone on to be my most recognised piece of work. Since 2004 we’ve printed thousands of copies that have found homes far and wide.

I’ll always be grateful to Ian and Derek for all their help and good humour over the years we’ve worked together. My use of wood letter type has made my work distinctive and I owe that to the amazing print works just off the High Street and the wonderful people who work there. It’s an incredible hidden gem and I feel fortunate to be able to make work in collaboration with them. I think Adams represents everything that’s important about Rye and its unique history. The town has such a fascinating story and it’s exciting to see its latest chapter unfolding with the new energy that seems to be around the town as we re-build our lives after the past two years.

Anthony at is studio.

Your ‘Me & You, You & Me’ design is full size on the side of a building in Leeds, how did that project come about?

Anthony. A recent commission was to design a mural in the heart of Leeds, my former student town. The process began in 2019, before the world changed. The pandemic slowed down the progress of the mural but added extra meaning and context to the finished piece. I used the phrase ‘ME & YOU, YOU & ME’ repeated in a bold typographic style which was hand-painted on the 80 foot high building. The original type design was set and proofed using wood letter type from the collection of Adams of Rye. It’s my largest piece of public art to date and it uses type from Rye to deliver its message of connection and community.

Gresty chatted with Anthony at his studio and they printed at Adams of Rye.
www.anthonyburrill.com