Sunday, 6:00pm
22 May 2016
David King, 1943-2016
‘It was always my idea to get across complex or difficult subjects to a wider audience. That’s what visual people like us can do.’
British designer, author and archivist David King died on 11 May 2016.
Here are a few reminders of his many achievements, plus links to articles (in Eye and elsewhere) about the influential man and his work, including Christopher Wilson’s Reputations interview in Eye 48.
Opening spread from Christopher Wilson’s Reputations interview with David King in Eye 48, with portrait by Anthony Oliver. Creative director: Nick Bell.
Top: Sunday Times magazine spread, ‘A dictionary of the revolution’, November 1967. Art editor: David King.
Mike Dempsey, who interviewed David King for Design Week in 2001, has published a revised version of his article ‘King of Kings’ on his Graphic Journey blog.
William Grimes wrote this obituary for the New York Times.
David North described King as ‘Revolutionary socialist, artist and defender of historical truth’, in this detailed obit for the World Socialist Web Site (WCWS).
Richard Hollis’s obituary for the Guardian was published on Saturday 28 May 2016, and appeared online the previous Wednesday.
We have re-published Rick Poynor’s 1998 article for Print magazine, ‘David King: Books of blood and laughter’ on the Eye blog – thanks to Rick for providing this article, which also appeared in his book Obey The Giant.
More links at the foot of this page.
Sunday Times magazine spread, ‘The stabbing of Stompanato’, March 1969. Art editor: David King.
City Limits cover, 1981. Cover design: David King.
Spreads from the Reputations interview with David King, Eye 48, 2003.
Cover of John Heartfield: Laughter is a Devastating Weapon, reviewed in Eye 91.
Eye is the world’s most beautiful and collectable graphic design journal, published quarterly for professional designers, students and anyone interested in critical, informed writing about graphic design and visual culture. It is available from all good design bookshops and online at the Eye shop, where you can buy subscriptions and single issues.
Links
Reputations: David King, Eye 48, 2003
The David King Collection
David King: Books of blood and laughter, 1998
Robert Service reviews Red Star Over Russia in the Observer, 2010
‘David King: Designs for Oxford (1979-1985)’ at Modern Art Oxford until 10 June 2016
Review of John Heartfield: Laughter is a Devastating Weapon in Eye 91