Matali Crasset
SPIN was founded in 1992 in London by Tony Brook and Patricia Finegan. Their reputation in design is based primarily on the creation of organic identity systems and the innovative creation of experimental typographic forms. They are also founding partners in the publisher Unit Editions, and SPIN has designed the vast majority of the books published by Unit.
Curator: Hi! Could you give our readers a bit of background about your approach to design?
Tony (Spin Studio): The studio exists at the point where art and design meet. This position has evolved naturally and gradually over time; I find that commissioned and non-commissioned outcomes feed into and nourish one another. At this stage in our development they are interdependent, often coming together in surprising ways.
C: Could you tell us about your design for U ME U?
T: The U ME U identity and the throw both stem from an art project of ours called Symmetrika. The idea was to begin with one shape that works both as a repeatable form for patterns and as an abstract typographic unit, becoming more or less legible depending on its context and exploring the space between representation and abstraction. If the visual for the throw is an abstraction, then the U ME U identity sees Symmetrika used as reductive type.
In addition to the throw, so far we have also made Symmetrika paintings and prints, and are in the process of making an artists’ multiple (watch this space!).
What appeals to you about seeing your design in this format/medium? (throws/textiles)
First and foremost the sensual materiality of the throws — they’re both physically beautiful and (importantly) lovely to the touch. They also have a really nice weight to them, they feel substantial and this means that they fold and lay nicely. This has a wonderful and, to us at least, unexpected effect on the Symmetrika forms which I never tire of seeing: it breaks the rigidity of the structure and adds a feeling of flow.
What was the process like for you working on this collection?
It has been an absolute delight, a serendipitous moment. Sometimes, very rarely, these things happen and the stars align. The possibility of creating a rigid and uncompromising graphic statement on a fluid substrate had been exercising me for a while and when I got the call from Dan it was quite a moment. He has been nothing but encouraging and the collaboration has been open, honest and inclusive throughout. We couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome.