swifty

Ian Swift aka Swifty is the lone wolf of the UK graffix community.
Even if you’’ve never heard of Swifty you can bet your life you’ve
seen or even own a piece of his artwork. For two decades this man has cast an innovative and distinctive visual shadow over contemporary culture as we know it. Think: Talking Loud, Mo’ Wax, Straight No Chaser, Far Out, Especial, Camo and more.

in the early 90s immersed himself in the nu-jazz /jazz dance and rare groove club scene. The office became club flyer central. Prior to Swift, club flyers had been knocked out, punk fashion, either with a felt tip or
letraset. It was Swifty who upped the flyer design stakes and when
Gilles Peterson launched the Talking Loud label he was the natural
choice for art director/designer.

Hip hop’s sampling sensibilities collided with the art of Blue Note
records on the LP sleeves covers and 12” singles of the Young
Disciples, Galliano, Marxmen and Omar amongst others. As a body of
work, it was mightily impressive and pretty soon he was designing for
labels as far away as Japan. Back then it all work and clubbing. Wag
Club, Talking Loud at Dingwalls, Soul II Soul at the Africa Centre,
High On Hope, Jazz 90, Jah Shaka... pure inspiration information.

Over almost two decades he art directed 97 issues of Straight No
Chaser magazine and presided over two major redesigns. Swift was tuned to The Freedom Principle. He constantly changed the fonts and created some of the most mind blowing spreads you’d ever seen. Check www.straightnochaser.co.uk to scope the covers. Back in the day it won him the Apple Award : XYZ Magazine Designer of The Year.