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Dezeen Podcast: Colin Forbes remembering Alan Fletcher at the Design Museum

Dezeen podcast: in our latest podcast for the Design Museum in London, graphic designer Colin Forbes reminisces about his design partner and friend Alan Fletcher, with whom he co-founded Fletcher/Forbes/Gill in the 1960s and subsequently Pentagram in the 1970s.

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Forbes recounts stories including his first collaboration with Fletcher as design students in London, the influence of Fletcher's time at Yale University in America, where he was taught by artist Josef Albers, and Fletcher's 'Living by Design' philosophy.

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This rare appearance by Forbes followed the conclusion of the retrospective exhibition Alan Fletcher: 50 Years of Graphic Work (and Play), which ran at the Design Museum between 11 November 2006 and 18 February 2007.

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Here are some details about the exhibition from the Design Museum:


One of the most influential figures in British graphic design, Alan Fletcher co-founded Fletcher/Forbes/Gill in the 1960s and Pentagram in the 1970s.

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He created iconic brand identities for clients such as Pirelli and the V&A and transformed book design in his role as consultant art editor to Phaidon Press with his spirited, witty and very personal style.

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To mark the donation of the Fletcher archive to its collection, the Design Museum presents his first retrospective including his commercial work for Penguin, Reuters and Shell, alongside more personal projects in lettering, collage and illustration.

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Alan Fletcher: fifty years of graphic work (and play) celebrates the remarkable life and work of this influential figure of British graphic design.

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