Mark Farrow (born May 1960) is a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

graphic designer known for his work with English music label

Factory Records Factory Records was a Manchester-based British independent record label founded in 1978 by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus. The label featured several important acts on its roster, including Joy Division, New Order (band), New Order, A Certain Ra ...

and

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

nightclub

The Haçienda The Haçienda was a nightclub and music venue in Manchester, England, which became famous during the Madchester years of the 1980s and early 1990s. It was run by the record label Factory Records. The club opened in 1982, eventually fosteri ...

. He has also done work for bands such as

Pet Shop Boys Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 100 million records worldwide and were listed as the most successful duo in UK music h ...

and

Spiritualized Spiritualized (stylised as Spiritualized®) are an English rock band formed in 1990 in Rugby, Warwickshire, by Jason Pierce (often known as J. Spaceman), formerly of Spacemen 3. After several line up-changes, in 1999, the band centred on Pie ...

. In 2009 he was named a Royal Designer for Industry (RDI) by the

Royal Society of Arts The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, commonly known as the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), is a learned society that champions innovation and progress across a multitude of sectors by fostering creativity, s ...

Early life

Farrow attended art college for a short time but quit to work in a Manchester design studio. He also worked at The Discount Record Shop in Manchester's Underground Market. With the advent of

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

, the shop was frequented by clientele like Ben Kelly and Peter Saville, both connected to

and

nightclub.

Design work

In 1982, after befriending groups as part of the Manchester scene, Farrow was given the chance to design the cover for the

7-inch single In music, a single is a type of release of a song recording of fewer tracks than an album ( LP), typically one or two tracks. A single can be released for sale to the public in a variety of physical or digital formats. Singles may be standa ...

"Fairy Tales" by the

Stockholm Monsters Stockholm Monsters were an English post-punk band, formed in Burnage, a suburb of the city of Manchester in 1980. They recorded for Factory Records between 1981 and 1987. History The band formed in Manchester in 1980 with a line-up of Tony Franc ...

, a Factory release. Throughout the early 80s, he designed experimental sleeves and posters for both Factory and The Haçienda, which placed him at the forefront of contemporary music graphic design. After 1991, Farrow began working under the name of his studio, Farrow Design. Farrow has had a longstanding creative partnership with

and other bands such as the

space rock Space rock is a music genre characterized by loose and lengthy song structures centered on instrumental textures that typically produce a hypnotic, otherworldly sound. It may feature distorted and reverberation-laden guitars, minimal drummin ...

group

. As the 12" vinyl went out of style, Farrow challenged contemporary notions of CD packaging. For Pet Shop Boys' 1993 release ''

Very Very may refer to: * English's prevailing intensifier Businesses * The Very Group The Very Group Limited is a multi-brand online retailer and financial services provider in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Its head offices are based in the ...

'', Farrow designed an "orange Lego®" CD jewel box which is featured in the New York

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...

. In the mid-90s, Farrow designed the cover for '' Everything Must Go'' (1996), the breakthrough album by the

Manic Street Preachers Manic Street Preachers, also known simply as the Manics, are a Wales, Welsh Rock music, rock band formed in Blackwood, Caerphilly, in 1986. The band consists of Nicky Wire (bass guitar, lyrics) and cousins James Dean Bradfield (lead vocals, le ...

. For Spiritualized's 1997 album '' Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space'', he used an authentic tablet blister-pack which contained the CDs and accompanying text. For their 2001 release '' Let it Come Down'', he included a 3-D, vacuum-formed face as part of the cover. He has also worked with artists such as

Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Frequently referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Princess of Pop", she has achieved recognition in both the music industry and fas ...

Burt Bacharach Burt Freeman Bacharach ( ; May 12, 1928 – February 8, 2023) was an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist who is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music. Start ...

Calvin Harris Adam Richard Wiles (born 17 January 1984), known professionally as Calvin Harris (and sometimes under the stage name Love Regenerator), is a Scottish DJ, record producer, singer, and songwriter. His debut studio album, ''I Created Disco'' (2007 ...

, and

Snow Patrol Snow Patrol are a Northern Irish–Scottish Rock music, rock band formed in 1994 in Dundee, Scotland, consisting of Gary Lightbody (vocals, guitar), Nathan Connolly (guitar, backing vocals), and Johnny McDaid (piano, guitar, keyboards, backi ...

. Farrow also works outside of the music industry, for designers, photographers, publishers, and other industry projects. He has worked with Oliver Peyton on restaurants and bars, designed the cover of the 1999

Design and Art Direction Design and Art Direction (D&AD), formerly known as British Design and Art Direction, is a British educational organisation that was created in 1962 to promote excellence in design and advertising. Its main offices are in Spitalfields in London. ...

annual, worked with SCP furniture on designing clocks, developed a packaging system for

Levi's Levi Strauss & Co. ( ) is an American clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's ( ) brand of denim jeans. It was founded in May 1853 when German-Jewish immigrant Levi Strauss moved from Buttenheim, Bavaria, to San Francisco, California, ...

, collaborated with The Science Museum in London, and designed a yacht for Campers'

Volvo Ocean Race The Ocean Race is a yacht race around the world, held every three or four years since 1973. Originally named the Whitbread Round the World Race after its initiating sponsor, British brewing company Whitbread, in 2001 it became the Volvo Ocean Rac ...

. His minimalist approach, and a rigorous, highly precise attention to detail defines his aesthetic. He enjoys close, collaborative work.

Awards

Farrow was named Designer of the Year in the

Creative Review ''Creative Review'' is a bimonthly print magazine and website. The magazine focuses on commercial creativity, covering design, advertising, photography, branding, digital products, film, and gaming. The magazine is published bimonthly in print an ...

Peer Poll in 2004, voting him ‘the most important graphic designer working today’. In 2009, by which time he had won nine

Silver Awards, he was given the honour of Royal Designer for Industry (RDI) by the

. Farrow also has four

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

nominations, 10 Music Week CAD awards, and two Art Directors Club of Europe Gold Awards.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Farrow, Mark English graphic designers British graphic designers Living people Factory Records Royal Designers for Industry 1960 births