Alan Aldridge 1938 - 2017
I suspect that most members will have seen news of the death of Alan Aldridge. The broadsheet newspapers have, justifiably, devoted many column inches to his life and work and James Mackay will include a short piece in the upcoming Collector.
In particular, I would draw members' attention to the obituary in Design Week. As well as including some instantly recognisable Aldridge art, there is the addition of a fun Heineken ad that you might not have seen before.
Hunter Davies' article in the Sunday Times is also illuminating and adds the tale of how Aldridge painted his wife Rita for a poster touting for young students to consider creating cover designs for Penguin. Davies includes a picture of Aldridge in his office at Penguin and the poster can be seen behind him; the PCS purchased a copy some years ago and it is now held at the Bristol Archive.
There is some discrepancy in dates across the obituaries but the Guardian has recently published a helpful amendment after confirming the information with the family.
Links:
Design Week
https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/20-26-february-2017/remembering-alan-aldridge-revolutionary-graphic-designer-swinging-sixties/
Hunter Davies in The Sunday Times
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-man-with-kaleidoscope-eyes-rbfmc39fq
The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2017/feb/22/alan-aldridge-obituary
Daily Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2017/02/28/alan-aldridge-sixties-psychedelic-illustrator-obituary/
Bristol Archive
http://www.bristol.ac.uk/library/resources/specialcollections/archives/penguin/
