Long-time Bowie collaborator all set to inspire University of Northampton students

David Bowie’s long-time graphic design collaborator will be lifting the lid on his work to students at the University of Northampton.

Jonathan Barnbrook worked with the late rock icon for 15 years, during which time he was involved with the design of the artwork for five Bowie albums, including his final release, Black Star, which came out two days before his death in January 2016.

He will be speaking to students about his work during a special presentation at Avenue Campus on Wednesday 25 January, as part of the University’s Subject Futures Week – a five-day showcase of graduate career opportunities within the creative industries.

Jonathan said: “The lecture will be a sort of ‘greatest hits’, with some emphasis of the work I did with Bowie, activism and typeface design.

“It isn’t really a ‘show and tell’, more a ‘show and ask why do it in the first place?’. Designers need to understand what a good piece of work is, not just aesthetically but socially, politically and culturally.”

He also has some advice for Graphic Design and Illustration students from the University: “All the design you makes changes the world in some way by its very existence. Make sure that change you have made is worthwhile and makes the place a better place rather than a worse place.”

Find out more about Jonathan’s Bowie collaborations with this interview with Dezeen.com.

Please note, this is a student-only event and is not open to the public.

The University held a David Bowie commemorative conference earlier this month.