Jump to content

Brett Wickens: Difference between revisions

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Pacific-B (talk | contribs)
60 edits
No edit summary
No edit summary
Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit
 
(84 intermediate revisions by 38 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{short description|British-Canadian creative director (born 1961)}}
'''Brett Wickens''' ([[Burlington (city)|Burlington]], is a [[Canadians|Canadian]] and British [[British people|British]] [[Creative Director]] living in the USA.
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Brett Wickens
| honorific_suffix =
| image = <!-- filename only, i.e. without "File:" (or "Image:") prefix or enclosing [[brackets]] -->
| alt =
| caption =
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| birth_name = <!-- only use if different from name above -->
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1961|04|15}}
| birth_place = [[Hamilton, Ontario]], Canada
| baptised = <!-- will not display if birth_date is entered -->
| disappeared_date = <!-- {{disappeared date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (disappeared date then birth date) -->
| disappeared_place =
| disappeared_status =
| death_date = <!-- {{death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date then birth date) -->
| death_place =
| death_cause =
| body_discovered =
| resting_place =
| resting_place_coordinates = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LONG|type:landmark|display=inline}} -->
| monuments =
| nationality =
| other_names =
| citizenship = Canadian, British, American
| education =
| alma_mater =
| occupation = Graphic designer, musician, photographer
| years_active =
| era =
| employer =
| organization =
| known_for = Logo design and branding, [[Spoons (band)|Spoons]], [[Ceramic Hello]]
| notable_works = The logotype for HBO's ''[[The Sopranos]]''
| style =
| height = <!-- "X cm", "X m" or "X ft Y in" plus optional reference (conversions are automatic) -->
| television =
| title =
| term =
| predecessor =
| party =
| movement =
| opponents =
| boards =
| criminal_charge = <!-- Criminality parameters should be supported with citations from reliable sources -->
| criminal_penalty =
| criminal_status =
| spouse = Coraline Langston-Jones <!-- Use article title or common name -->
| partner = <!-- (unmarried long-term partner) -->
| children = 2
| parents =
| relatives =
| callsign =
| awards =
| module =
| module2 =
| module3 =
| module4 =
| module5 =
| module6 =
| signature =
| signature_alt =
| signature_size =
| website = {{URL|studiobrettwickens.com}}
| footnotes =
}}


'''Brett Wickens''' (born April 15, 1961<ref>{{Cite web|title = Brett Wickens Video, Interviews|url = http://www.ovguide.com/brett-wickens-9202a8c04000641f8000000005733c37|website = [[OVGuide]]|accessdate =June 9, 2015|archive-date =March 4, 2016 |url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304231737/http://www.ovguide.com/brett-wickens-9202a8c04000641f8000000005733c37}}</ref>) is a [[Canadians|Canadian]] [[graphic design]]er and musician known for his work with [[brand|identity design]]. He is a partner with the [[Ammunition Design Group]], and lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area. Among other musical endeavors, Wickens was a founding member of the bands [[Spoons (band)|Spoons]] and [[Ceramic Hello]].
Canadian-born Brett Wickens worked with British designer Peter Saville as a partner in his London studio during the 1980s and 90s, where they developed renowned campaigns for clients as diverse as Yohji Yamamoto, Factory Records, Peter Gabriel and the French Ministry of Culture. In 1998, he became the Global Creative Director of Sapient before joining MetaDesign as VP Creative Director in 2002, where he directed identity and interaction projects for clients including Adobe, Four Seasons, McAfee, San Francisco Ballet, SanDisk, Shangri-La Hotels, Sony and Viacom.


==Biography==
Brett is a partner in the design studio Ammunition LLC, which was named one of the top five Most Innovative Companies in Design in 2010 by Fast Company magazine. He is also the founder of DreamSurface, an application design company that brings classic product and graphic design integrity to mobile applications. The company's first app -- TimeTuner -- is a global radio alarm clock and is available through the iTunes app store.
Wickens worked with British graphic designer [[Peter Saville (graphic designer)|Peter Saville]]<ref>{{Cite web|title = Behind the Leeo Logo: A Q&A with Brett Wickens|url = https://www.leeo.com/behind-leeo-logo-interview-designer-brett-wickens/|accessdate =June 9, 2015|website = Leeo, Inc.|date =January 9, 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150318112608/https://www.leeo.com/behind-leeo-logo-interview-designer-brett-wickens/ |archive-date =March 18, 2015|url-status = dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Outstanding Alien|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/22/magazine/outstanding-alien.html?src=pm&pagewanted=2|last=Silva|first=Horacio|date=September 22, 2002|work=[[The New York Times]]|page=82|accessdate=September 24, 2011|url-status=unfit|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422123048/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/22/magazine/outstanding-alien.html?src=pm&pagewanted=2|archive-date=April 22, 2016}}</ref> as a partner in his London studio during the 1980s and 90s, where they developed campaigns for clients such as [[Yohji Yamamoto]], [[Factory Records]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.factoryrecords.org/brett-wickens.php|title=Brett Wickens|website=FactoryRecords.org|access-date=January 2, 2023}}</ref> [[Peter Gabriel]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/peter-gabriel-so-artwork/|title=How Peter Gabriel's ''So'' Artwork Defined Him for a Decade|last=Kielty|first=Martin|date=May 21, 2021|website=[[Ultimate Classic Rock]]|access-date=January 2, 2023}}</ref> and the French Ministry of Culture. Wickens was involved in the creation of the artwork for Gabriel's ''[[So (album)|So]]'' (1986), which, according to ''[[Creative Review]]'', is "widely regarded as a design classic".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.creativereview.co.uk/25th-anniversary-edition-of-peter-gabriels-so/|title=25th anniversary edition of Peter Gabriel's ''So''|last=Lucas|first=Gavin|date=October 17, 2012|website=[[Creative Review]]|access-date=January 2, 2023}}</ref> In 1990 he became an Associate Partner in [[Pentagram (design studio)|Pentagram]]'s London office, departing three years later.<ref>{{cite book|last=Poynor|first=Rick|author-link=Rick Poynor|date=1998|title=Design Without Boundaries: Visual Communication in Transition|publisher=Booth-Clibborn Editions|page=113|isbn=978-1861540065}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/14-october-1999/brett-wickens-sapient/|title=Brett Wickens, Sapient|date=October 15, 1999|website=[[Design Week]]|access-date=January 2, 2023}}</ref>


In 1993 Wickens moved to Los Angeles to become VP Creative Director at Frankfurt Balkind Partners.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.designthinkers.com/Speakers/Brett-Wickens.aspx|title=Brett Wickens |date=2008 |website=Design Thinkers |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506050013/http://designthinkers.com/Speakers/Brett-Wickens.aspx |archive-date=May 6, 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> He designed the logotype for HBOs ''[[The Sopranos]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=From The Sopranos's Logo Designer, A Brilliant Brand ID That Morphs Over Time|url=http://www.fastcodesign.com/3021982/innovation-by-design/from-the-sopranoss-logo-designer-a-brilliant-brand-id-that-evolves-over|accessdate=June 9, 2015|date=November 22, 2013|website=[[Fast Company]]|last=Wilson|first=Mark|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131125115315/http://www.fastcodesign.com/3021982/innovation-by-design/from-the-sopranoss-logo-designer-a-brilliant-brand-id-that-evolves-over|archive-date=November 25, 2013}}</ref> In 1999, Wickens became the Global Creative Director of Sapient before joining [[MetaDesign]] as VP Creative Director in 2002.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://archive.gdusa.com/issue_2009/03_mar/people/|title=Creative Professionals & People|date=2009-03-01|website=Graphic Design USA|access-date=2016-05-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603043059/http://archive.gdusa.com/issue_2009/03_mar/people/|archive-date=2016-06-03|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was a founding partner of DreamSurface, a mobile application design company best known for the product TimeTuner.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Radio Ink Magazine|url = http://www.radioink.com/Article.asp?id=1556345&spid=24698|website = [[Radio Ink]]|accessdate = 2015-06-09|date = 2009-10-21}}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Wickens subsequently became a partner with the [[Ammunition Design Group]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3034007/whats-the-difference-between-a-logo-and-a-symbol|title=What's The Difference Between a Logo and a Symbol?|last=Brownlee|first=John|date=August 7, 2014|website=[[Fast Company]]|access-date=January 2, 2023}}</ref>
He has been a guest speaker on NPR, editor of EYE magazine, teacher at the California Institute of the Arts, and speaker at many symposia, including the RGD Design Thinkers Conference 2008 in Toronto, and the Creative Review Click Conference 2010 in San Francisco.


He has been a guest speaker on [[NPR]], contributing editor at ''EYE'' magazine, teacher at the [[California Institute of the Arts]], and speaker at many symposia, including the RGD Design Thinkers Conference 2008 in Toronto, and the Creative Review Click Conference 2010 in San Francisco. Wickens was awarded in 2016 the [[Smithsonian Institution|Smithsonian]] [[Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum|Cooper-Hewitt]] National Design Award.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://aigasf.org/brett-wickens/|title=Brett Wickens|date=2018-02-04|work=[[American Institute of Graphic Arts|AIGA San Francisco]]|access-date=2018-07-10|language=en-US}}</ref> He has said of his approach to design, "I've pretty much based my career on one philosophy. Good design is not about what you put in, it's about what you leave out."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/homeandgarden/article/Putting-the-I-in-Eichler-4221294.php|title=Putting the I in Eichler|last=Labong|first=Leilani Marie|date=January 24, 2013|website=[[SFGate]]|access-date=January 2, 2023}}</ref>
His work is included in the permanent collection of 20th Century Design at the V&A Museum, London.


==Notes==
==Music career==
Wickens was a founding member of the band [[Spoons (band)|Spoons]], playing keyboards.<ref>{{cite magazine|date=October 6, 1984|title=''Tell No Lies'' Stabilizes Spoons Success|magazine=[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]|volume=41|issue=5|page=1}}</ref> He appeared on the group's debut single, "After the Institution" (1980), released on then-manager Paul Abrahams' Mannequin Records.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://postpunkmonk.com/2022/11/01/40-years-of-the-spoons-arias-symphonies-demands-close-inspection-of-canadas-best-album-part-1/|title=40 Years of Spoons ''Arias + Symphonies'' Demands Close Inspection of Canada's Best Album [part 1]|date=November 1, 2022|website=Post-Punk Monk|access-date=January 6, 2023}}</ref> Wickens subsequently left Spoons and joined with classically-trained musician Roger Humphreys to form the duo [[Ceramic Hello]].<ref>{{cite news|last=McMillan|first=Greg|date=March 9, 1981|title=Ceramic Hello Cracks Air|work=[[The Hamilton Spectator]]}}</ref> Through Mannequin they released a single, "Climatic Nouveaux" (1980),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.electricityclub.co.uk/tecs-25-tracks-from-the-circuit-boards-of-canada/|title=25 Tracks From the Circuit Boards of Canada|last=Lai|first=Chi Ming|date=February 17, 2020|website=Electricity Club|access-date=January 6, 2023}}</ref> and an album, ''The Absence of a Canary'' (1981);<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.factmag.com/2010/01/26/20-best-minimal-wave/9/|title=The 20 Best Minimal Wave Records Ever Made|last=Vasicka|first=Veronica|author-link=Veronica Vasicka|date=January 26, 2010|website=[[Fact (UK magazine)|Fact]]|access-date=January 6, 2023}}</ref> Abrahams produced the duo.<ref>{{cite magazine|date=November 2, 1985|title=Production Line|magazine=[[Music Week]]|page=22}}</ref> ''[[Trouser Press]]'' pondered whether Ceramic Hello would be the "toast of the music press", had they been from London.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Young|first=Jon|date=July 1981|title=Hit and Run|magazine=[[Trouser Press]]|page=48}}</ref>
<references/>

''The Absence of a Canary'' has twice been re-released, and has garnered a legacy among electronic music enthusiasts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://music.ckut.ca/2016/02/11/a-canadian-minimal-wave-retrospective-ceramic-hellos-absence-of-a-canary-1981/|title=A Canadian minimal wave retrospective: Ceramic Hello's ''Absence of a Canary'' (1981)|last=Bulatovic|first=Danilo|date=February 11, 2016|publisher=[[CKUT-FM]]|access-date=January 6, 2023}}</ref> Elsewhere, Wickens has composed with [[William Orbit]], [[Jah Wobble]] ([[Public Image Ltd]]),<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Smith|first=Jerry|date=May 10, 1986|title=Singles (Brett Wickens & Jah Wobble: Between Two Frequencies)|magazine=[[Music Week]]|page=22}}</ref> [[Andy McCluskey]] ([[Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark|OMD]])<ref>{{cite web|first= Paul |last= Browne |title= Brett Wickens Interview |website= Messages |date= 15 February 2014 |access-date= 5 March 2021 |url= https://www.omd-messages.co.uk/brett-wickens-interview/}}</ref> and [[Martha Ladly]] ([[Martha and the Muffins]]),<ref>{{cite magazine|date=September 10, 1983|title=Island Scores Cancon with Martha Single|magazine=[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]|volume=39|issue=2|page=2}}</ref> among others.

==Personal life==
Wickens is married to Coralie Langston-Jones and together they have twins, Jasmine and Sophia. They reside in the town of [[Lucas Valley]] in [[Marin County, California|Marin County]] and live in an [[Joseph Eichler|Eichler]] house.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.curbed.com/2016/5/6/11594152/home-tour-joseph-eichler-midcentury-house-calls|title=A Classic Eichler Home Steps Into the 21st Century|last=Bowling|first=Mary Jo|date=May 6, 2016|website=[[Curbed]]|access-date=May 7, 2016|archive-date=October 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201004091454/https://www.curbed.com/2016/5/6/11594152/home-tour-joseph-eichler-midcentury-house-calls|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
* [https://www.studiobrettwickens.com Official site]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Wickens, Brett}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wickens, Brett}}
⚫
[[Category:Canadian dance musicians]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Burlington, Ontario]]
[[Category:People from Burlington, Ontario]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Musicians from Hamilton, Ontario]]
[[Category:Canadian New Wave musicians]]
[[Category:Canadian new wave musicians]]
⚫
[[Category:Canadian dance musicians]]
[[Category:1961 births]]
[[Category:Creative directors]]
[[Category:Canadian graphic designers]]

Latest revision as of 16:55, 29 January 2024

Brett Wickens
Born (1961-04-15) April 15, 1961 (age 63)
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
CitizenshipCanadian, British, American
Occupation(s)Graphic designer, musician, photographer
Known forLogo design and branding, Spoons, Ceramic Hello
Notable workThe logotype for HBO's The Sopranos
SpouseCoraline Langston-Jones
Children2
Websitestudiobrettwickens.com

Brett Wickens (born April 15, 1961[1]) is a Canadian graphic designer and musician known for his work with identity design. He is a partner with the Ammunition Design Group, and lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area. Among other musical endeavors, Wickens was a founding member of the bands Spoons and Ceramic Hello.

Biography

[edit]

Wickens worked with British graphic designer Peter Saville[2][3] as a partner in his London studio during the 1980s and 90s, where they developed campaigns for clients such as Yohji Yamamoto, Factory Records,[4] Peter Gabriel[5] and the French Ministry of Culture. Wickens was involved in the creation of the artwork for Gabriel's So (1986), which, according to Creative Review, is "widely regarded as a design classic".[6] In 1990 he became an Associate Partner in Pentagram's London office, departing three years later.[7][8]

In 1993 Wickens moved to Los Angeles to become VP Creative Director at Frankfurt Balkind Partners.[9] He designed the logotype for HBOs The Sopranos.[10] In 1999, Wickens became the Global Creative Director of Sapient before joining MetaDesign as VP Creative Director in 2002.[11] He was a founding partner of DreamSurface, a mobile application design company best known for the product TimeTuner.[12] Wickens subsequently became a partner with the Ammunition Design Group.[13]

He has been a guest speaker on NPR, contributing editor at EYE magazine, teacher at the California Institute of the Arts, and speaker at many symposia, including the RGD Design Thinkers Conference 2008 in Toronto, and the Creative Review Click Conference 2010 in San Francisco. Wickens was awarded in 2016 the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award.[14] He has said of his approach to design, "I've pretty much based my career on one philosophy. Good design is not about what you put in, it's about what you leave out."[15]

Music career

[edit]

Wickens was a founding member of the band Spoons, playing keyboards.[16] He appeared on the group's debut single, "After the Institution" (1980), released on then-manager Paul Abrahams' Mannequin Records.[17] Wickens subsequently left Spoons and joined with classically-trained musician Roger Humphreys to form the duo Ceramic Hello.[18] Through Mannequin they released a single, "Climatic Nouveaux" (1980),[19] and an album, The Absence of a Canary (1981);[20] Abrahams produced the duo.[21] Trouser Press pondered whether Ceramic Hello would be the "toast of the music press", had they been from London.[22]

The Absence of a Canary has twice been re-released, and has garnered a legacy among electronic music enthusiasts.[23] Elsewhere, Wickens has composed with William Orbit, Jah Wobble (Public Image Ltd),[24] Andy McCluskey (OMD)[25] and Martha Ladly (Martha and the Muffins),[26] among others.

Personal life

[edit]

Wickens is married to Coralie Langston-Jones and together they have twins, Jasmine and Sophia. They reside in the town of Lucas Valley in Marin County and live in an Eichler house.[27]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Brett Wickens Video, Interviews". OVGuide. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  2. ^ "Behind the Leeo Logo: A Q&A with Brett Wickens". Leeo, Inc. January 9, 2015. Archived from the original on March 18, 2015. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  3. ^ Silva, Horacio (September 22, 2002). "Outstanding Alien". The New York Times. p. 82. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved September 24, 2011.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. ^ "Brett Wickens". FactoryRecords.org. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  5. ^ Kielty, Martin (May 21, 2021). "How Peter Gabriel's So Artwork Defined Him for a Decade". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  6. ^ Lucas, Gavin (October 17, 2012). "25th anniversary edition of Peter Gabriel's So". Creative Review. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  7. ^ Poynor, Rick (1998). Design Without Boundaries: Visual Communication in Transition. Booth-Clibborn Editions. p. 113. ISBN 978-1861540065.
  8. ^ "Brett Wickens, Sapient". Design Week. October 15, 1999. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  9. ^ "Brett Wickens". Design Thinkers. 2008. Archived from the original on May 6, 2016.
  10. ^ Wilson, Mark (November 22, 2013). "From The Sopranos's Logo Designer, A Brilliant Brand ID That Morphs Over Time". Fast Company. Archived from the original on November 25, 2013. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  11. ^ "Creative Professionals & People". Graphic Design USA. 2009-03-01. Archived from the original on 2016-06-03. Retrieved 2016-05-10.
  12. ^ "Radio Ink Magazine". Radio Ink. 2009-10-21. Retrieved 2015-06-09.[permanent dead link‍]
  13. ^ Brownlee, John (August 7, 2014). "What's The Difference Between a Logo and a Symbol?". Fast Company. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  14. ^ "Brett Wickens". AIGA San Francisco. 2018-02-04. Retrieved 2018-07-10.
  15. ^ Labong, Leilani Marie (January 24, 2013). "Putting the I in Eichler". SFGate. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  16. ^ "Tell No Lies Stabilizes Spoons Success". RPM. Vol. 41, no. 5. October 6, 1984. p. 1.
  17. ^ "40 Years of Spoons Arias + Symphonies Demands Close Inspection of Canada's Best Album [part 1]". Post-Punk Monk. November 1, 2022. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  18. ^ McMillan, Greg (March 9, 1981). "Ceramic Hello Cracks Air". The Hamilton Spectator.
  19. ^ Lai, Chi Ming (February 17, 2020). "25 Tracks From the Circuit Boards of Canada". Electricity Club. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  20. ^ Vasicka, Veronica (January 26, 2010). "The 20 Best Minimal Wave Records Ever Made". Fact. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  21. ^ "Production Line". Music Week. November 2, 1985. p. 22.
  22. ^ Young, Jon (July 1981). "Hit and Run". Trouser Press. p. 48.
  23. ^ Bulatovic, Danilo (February 11, 2016). "A Canadian minimal wave retrospective: Ceramic Hello's Absence of a Canary (1981)". CKUT-FM. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  24. ^ Smith, Jerry (May 10, 1986). "Singles (Brett Wickens & Jah Wobble: Between Two Frequencies)". Music Week. p. 22.
  25. ^ Browne, Paul (15 February 2014). "Brett Wickens Interview". Messages. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  26. ^ "Island Scores Cancon with Martha Single". RPM. Vol. 39, no. 2. September 10, 1983. p. 2.
  27. ^ Bowling, Mary Jo (May 6, 2016). "A Classic Eichler Home Steps Into the 21st Century". Curbed. Archived from the original on October 4, 2020. Retrieved May 7, 2016.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Brett_Wickens&oldid=1200499576"