Here is a feature that the wonderful chaps at Big cartel did on us! its a little wordy - i got carried away a bit - enjoy.
Featured Store Friday: Telegramme Studio
BC: What is Telegramme studio, what’s behind the name and how did you get started?
TS: Telegramme is a creative studio built on a love of craft, communication & collaboration. Along side commercial illustration and art direction, Telegramme produces and sells screen printed gig posters/prints/products from their ever growing ‘General store’.
Telegramme was a collaboration that snowballed in to a fully functional studio. Working via the postal service with Christopher in Bristol and Bobby based in Cornwall, they developed a creative partnership thanks to a mutual love of music, art and the receiving of post.
Now solely run by Bobby in East London, Telegramme studio is an ongoing series of collaborations, INSPIRED BY MUSIC, PEOPLE, UNIQUE IDEAS AND BEAUTIFUL THINGS, his energy is directed into Illustration/design and art direction working with a host of wonderful clients from Habitat to Random House as well as producing work for various bands and record labels.
BC: How does your typical collaboration process work?
TS: There is no ‘typical’ collaboration. Each project is different. I am trying to develop the role of an illustrator in the creative process, rather than simply being commissioned for an illustration to slot in to x,y or z, i like to work WITH the client to develop ideas and what the brief is trying to achieve. With what format the outcome might be! This, I think, comes from my design background. Sometimes the client might think they need X, but it’s important to question why.
With the pictorial guide to east London, I worked closely with Herb Lester Associates to develop the concept/theme and outcome. They approached me saying they wanted a way to incorporate the locations of their excellent East London map into a ‘souvenir’ of sorts. I suggested the reference of vintage shop ‘cameos’ and it went from there. It’s great to have clients that listen to and trust you. Collaboration can be through discussion rather than traditionally through physically working on the project together.
In a more practical way, I always work closely with our screen printing guru Loren, who runs Loligo. I trust her suggestions of ink, paper stock and other ideas she has with printing. It’s great to listen to an expert—she knows her printing and we can geek out about paper samples for hours. Last week she reminded me about some glow in the dark inK we had lying around the studio…INSPIRATION!
BC: How does living in/being from London influence your aesthetic?
TS: I am heavily influenced by the diverse range of typography littering the east end where I live and work. there are so many brilliant hand-painted signs for everything from barber shops to carwashes. I’ve been making a record of all the bits I find whilst zooming around on my bike, on my soon to be relaunched blog. London brings with it such a varied and diverse range of influences in both subject and aesthetic, it’s impossible to say there is a london ‘style’ and I’m glad for that. Even within our studio space there are 11 illustrators all producing the most amazingly different things.
BC: What’s one thing you keep in mind when designing for screenprinting?
TS: I try to be kind to myself when printing, giving everything plenty of trap so that the registration is somewhat forgiving. I think this has all become instinct so I barely think about now. I must be telling myself ‘how the hell would I print that?’ over and over in my head and hoping I’m not saying it out loud in the studio.
I guess the screen printing process has always been a part of my practice and It has hugely influence the way I construct my work. Whether it’s an illustration for a magazine or for a screenprinted poster, I build work in the same way, using minimal colors and making the most of overlays. This was originally due to trying to keep costs and effort down in the printing process but its somehow become part of my everyday image making. I dont mind it sticking around though.
BC: What’s next for Telegramme?
TS: Its an exciting time… I’m starting some new projects that are really pushing Telegramme in a more collaborative product based direction. I’m going to be working with other artists to produce ranges of products that will be for sale in the general store. It’s all new and a real learning process but, by god, as a job it aint bad at all.
Next month I’ll be launching a new portfolio website and giving the general store a little bit of an update. It’s been almost a year that my main portfolio site and blog has been down and I can’t wait to show people some of the new things I’ve been working on.
In terms of personal work, I’ll be continuing to develop new handpainted, wooden signs influenced by east london’s typographic history with hopefully an exhibition around Easter. Of course there will be new gig posters and prints appearing regularly in the general store - hopefully working with some pretty awesome bands.
BC: What made you choose Big Cartel for your online store?
TS: I’ve always liked the attitude of Big Cartel, it offers creatives a new way to DIY! Telegramme comes from a DIY background and it’s great to be able to design print and sell something yourself without having to go through bigger commercial channels - it puts the power in the hands of people who are MAKING! this can only be a good thing—DIY forever! And of course all the other reasons it’s rad: Great value. simple customization. Solid platform. Creative community. Trusted.
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