Theatre of Space: The Rca Years: Vol 1

Early Street Photography of Nigel Grierson (Founder member of 23 Envelope and 4AD), with an essay by the esteemed photography writer Gerry Badger.

From Nigel Grierson, (photographer/sleeve designer and joint creator of the 4AD visual identity), and with an essay by esteemed photography writer, Gerry Badger, comes the first volume of his street photography from the early 1980s - created while studying at The Royal College of Art in London. Here 'the decisive moment' combined with Grierson's uniquely minimalist eye, are employed to create images of great power, humor and poignancy. Pioneering 'flash in daylight' within British documentary photography from the late 1970s, onward ('a time when natural light was almost a creed' - Badger), this award winning work, is finally published. In his brief introduction, Grierson speaks of his fascination for the 'paradoxical' nature of the medium, being both documentation and self expression simultaneously. He states, 'It seemed to me, that through photography and observation, there was the possibility, for the two great arcs of life; one of the outer world of reality / documentation, and the other of the inner world of fiction and dream, to come together with the single click of a shutter'.

Nigel Grierson was founding member of 23Envelope, responsible for creating the visual identity (producing album sleeves, posters, and videos) for the highly revered 4AD label (The Cocteau Twins, This Mortal Coil, Dead Can Dance, Bulgarian Voices etc.). The work has since appeared in many international exhibitions and periodicals and has been acclaimed by the likes of Rick Poyner and Catherine McDermott as among the most important and influential design of the eighties. In the nineties, Nigel went on to direct many music videos and TV commercials, before returning to his first love, photography around 2000. While much is known about his commercial work, and recent art photography, few people are aware of his early street photography. Despite winning many admirers at the time, including Mark Hayworth Booth (V&A Museum,) Rupert Martin (TPG), and awards (Saatchi Award - New Contemporaries, Vogue and JWT Awards – RCA), it has remained largely unseen and unpublished until now. Nigel's work (both album sleeves and photography) has been exhibited in Japan, Europe and America, and is in the V&A collection in London.