After our successful collaboration on a previous exhibition “I Still Believe in Our City” Complete were again approached by the V&A, London to recreate the artwork of rare posters planned for public display in the OSPAAAL exhibition.

OSPAAAL, is the acronym for the Organization of Solidarity with the People of Asia, Africa and Latin America. Based in Cuba, the organisation platformed anti-imperialist and revolutionary movements in the Global South through display of posters.

The Exhibition 3D Design was devised by London based architects and 2022 RIBA Journal Rising Stars, McCloy & Muchemwa to sit in the V&A's atrium gallery.

Seen here in the image adjacent is work in progress with proofs and originals being compared to closely recreate authentic looking posters using modern methods.

The fragility of this rare collection of posters means that mounting methods and exposure to light would cause irreparable damage to the original artworks. Complete were tasked to recreate one of each of the selected posters to be showcased for the exhibition chosen from the V&A's extensive OSPAAAL archive. The majority of the collection were printed in the 1960s and 70s, at the height of the movement using traditional printing presses. Our brief was to match the colours, paper stock and raw print style sympathetically, and in some cases slightly off-set so that when printed digitally and to the untrained eye, the posters mimicked their archive originals. For details of the exhibition on until March 31st 2023, click here

It was just over a decade ago that Complete collaborated with Tyrone Le Bon on his 2012 campaign for Swatch’s New Gent Lacquered collection. South London photographer, Tyrone Lebon headed off to New York’s East Village to shoot a clutch of cool artists for V Magazine

Fast forward to 2023, we applaud Tyrone Le Bon for his recent work for Daniel Lee, photographing the Burberry campaign following a recent re-brand of the heritage label that included re-instating the Knight motif and Burberry Prorsum logo. (Prorsum being the latin for 'Forwards')

Click here to see and read more about the Burberry campaign shot by Tyrone Le Bon

Now in it's fourth issue, Seed magazine, is a biannual magazine produced and edited by Carole Bamford.

Carole is the founder of Daylesford Organics and the Bamford brand, which encompasses health spas, and well being and beauty products. The key word for both of Carole's brands are sustainability. Seed Magazine brings the ethos of these brands into one magazine of lifestyle related written content and beautiful, considered photography

Complete, is widely regarded for its attention to detail in print and post production has recently been assigned to colour manage the print production for this issue. The images in the magazine are shot by a selection of some of the most talented and creative photographers, such as Martin Morrell, Lizzie Mayson and Laziz Hamani. Our work on this edition ensures that from cover to cover, every image is consistent and a true representation of its colour.

In the fourth issue of Seed magazine the content looks at wild swimming groups bracing icy temperatures to experience the health benefits and improved mental wellbeing . Articles on The Felix Project which looks at how lives were touched by the volunteers who give up their time to prevent vulnerable communities going without food and the interest in engaging with nature: with tips on how best to grow your own tomatoes. Also celebrating the importance of being conscious of where our food comes from, the magazine shares simple, seasonal recipes with a focus around reducing food waste and the effects of the choices we make daily.

From concept to completion and alongside a talented team of creatives, Complete Ltd are delighted to share a selection of images and details of the 2022 campaign created for Harley-Davidson Footwear.

The location and studio shoot took place in London earlier this year to capture a mixture of outdoor campaign lifestyle shots as well as assets for ecomm and printed style guides.

The campaign was art directed by Marcus Agerman-Ross and shot by photographer Lee Strickland. The styling concept was a nod to the trend for Gorpcore and outdoor pursuits, although still retaining the essence of motorcycling dress codes to appeal to the Harley-Davidson customer. Outdoor escapism as a way to survive during and in the post-pandemic era, such as a ride out on a motorbike is considered into the overall look of the shoot.

These looks shown here, for the male and female models were devised by stylist Sarah Ann Murray and were created by mixing vintage with pieces loaned from Uniqlo, Mr Porter and traditional work wear brands such as Dickies.

Styles shown here, clockwise from the top are Grace in Lornel, Lucas wearing Hagerman in black. Lucas and Grace together, he wears Randy and Grace is in Balsa, and the next image is a close up of the Balsa style.

Photograph of Amy Winehouse by Dean Chalkley.

Amy: Beyond The Stage is a collection of personal diaries, notebooks, photographs, clippings, clothing and her accessories that bring you closer to see how this petite girl from Southgate, North London who with her beehive and big ambitions became an international music artist.

It is striking throughout the exhibition, that, at heart, she was an ordinary girl whose extraordinary talent, attitude and style made her a modern day icon. The image here, which features in the exhibition is by photographer Dean Chalkley, and this is how he reflects on the image and remembers Amy on the day of the shoot.

"Amy Winehouse captivated us all, her soulful heartfelt lyrics reflected her tempestuous and fragile life. Through her music she enchanted us and the way she looked was beyond compare. This dynamo of a girl from North London was unique, she had her own thing going but around it the savage winds of chaos and drama blew.

When I look at this picture I made of Amy time for me stands still, I remember exactly how Amy was, her energy and humour. I often stand there transfixed gazing at this print feeling like it’s pulling me closer.

When Amy so sadly passed away the NME put this picture on the cover, no other copy-lines, the photograph seemed to say it all and mark respect."

The exhibition is set to end on Sunday 10th April 2022, to book a tickets click here

Can you?

Whilst the exhibition “I Still Believe in Our City” was on show at the V&A in London, one visitor took it upon themselves to give the subject in the image, on the top right a kiss on the cheek!

Leaving a lipstick mark on the poster, as endearing as it was that someone visiting the V&A would feel the love for the art, Complete reprinted a new poster to see the end of exhibitions tenure. At Complete, we loved this story so much, we just felt compelled to share. You can read more about this exhibition that started in New York and travelled to London last year by clicking this link.

Very Peri, described by colour company Pantone as "a periwinkle shade of blue," has been named colour of the year for 2022. The purple hue was informed by the rise of the metaverse, as well as the impact of coronavirus lockdowns.

Pantone, the company that sets one of the most widely recognised colour standards, says that the colour marries the "constancy" of traditional blue with the "energy and excitement" of red.

"As we move into a world of unprecedented change, the selection of Pantone 17-3938 Very Peri brings a novel perspective and vision of the trusted and beloved blue color family,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of Pantone's Color Institute. "Encompassing the qualities of the blues, yet at the same time possessing a violet-red undertone, Pantone 17-3938 Very Peri displays a spritely, joyous attitude and dynamic presence that encourages courageous creativity and imaginative expression."

Recent retouching work by Complete, for clients Furniture Village, Jigsaw and Tesco F&F, in the hue now described as Very Peri, can be seen in this image

We were approached by the V&A museum in London to project manage the production of the graphics for the exhibition “I Still Believe in Our City”.

The artworks have previously been on display in New York around the city, on the subway stations in 2020 and were created by artist Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya.  

One of two 2020-21 artists-in-residence with the NYC Commission on Human Rights, the daughter of Thai and Indonesian immigrants, Phingbodhipakkiya’s practice centres around making the invisible, visible. Her multidisciplinary work has appeared in museums, galleries, conferences, classrooms, speakeasies, rallies, digital screens, and on buildings all over the world.

The works featured in “I Still Believe in Our City” couple striking visuals with statistics about discrimination API New Yorkers have faced amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The panels include words and phrases that have been uttered in hate, juxtaposed with bright colours, symbolic imagery, and portraits of defiant and proud API New Yorkers standing their ground.

The impact of this topical and timely art project was picked up by the V&A in London and instead of the artworks being presented across city locations, Complete worked closely with curator, Corinna Gardener to reproduce the graphics as they were originally shown but in the paper form medium. This project required our innate knowledge and expertise of working with recreating artworks to a standard and very importantly colour reproduction, of which we are renowned.

Whilst the Complete team have been quietly working behind the scenes over the last nine months and keeping the creative industry wheels turning as we all navigate our way through the Covid crisis, the powers that be at The CMA shortlisted our Harley-Davidson Footwear campaign for their prestigious Best Use of Imagery award.

Complete has worked with many of the Wolverine brands for almost 20 years and they include Caterpillar, Sebago and Hush Puppies to name just a few. The Harley-Davidson shoot was the first time an advertising campaign had been commissioned by their EMEA team, so Complete were delighted to have been chosen to create and produce their first main campaign.

The campaign which was shot in December 2019 with the stunning backdrop of Dungeness in Kent, was to promote the Harley-Davidson footwear brand. The shoot was produced by Complete working with our close creative collaborators. Marcus Agerman-Ross, founder of Jocks&Nerds magazine, lead the project's creative direction and assigned a team of well respected professionals to execute the shoot.

Photographer, Lee Strickland shot stills and under his supervision a video was shot to enhance the campaign to cross the board of print and digital media. Alongside him, stylist Mark Anthony Bradley brought his skills and many years of knowledge to give the shoot an authentic, Americana look which perfectly complements the heritage and styling of the Harley-Davidson brand. The campaign was fronted by models Jade McSorely and Corbin Kretzmann from Established Models.

This is second year running that Complete has had one of their campaigns shortlisted in this category. In 2019, Complete's advertising campaign for William & Son's luxury sector was entered into the awards, with key members of the team attending the event at Troxy. Although it goes without saying that this year, the event will be virtual.

The results will be announced in a live, virtual ceremony on Thursday 3rd November 2020. Wish us luck, and should you want to login and watch the ceremony live click here to sign up to the event.

On 26 February, Disegno Book Club, a group dedicated to discussing the books shaping debates around design, architecture, technology, craft and more will be reading journalist Mark O'Connell's To Be A Machine (2017) which investigates transhumanism, a largely Silicon Valley-based movement that is bent on using technology to edit, alter and prolong lives.

Join them for a discussion and book your free ticket here.

Not had time to read the book? Check out these articles below for a brief taster of some of the topics on discussion.

Date
Wednesday 26 February

Time
6.30pm doors open, 7pm start

Venue
Rose Lipman Building, 43 De Beauvoir Road, London N1 5SQ