Celebrating Public image Limited's post-punk aesthetic at the ICA

Date
27 January 2016

In the art and design world, John Lydon (formerly Johnny Rotten, back in his Sex Pistols days), has a lot more to answer for than you might expect. The Sex Pistols catapulted the career of Jamie Reid into public consciousness thanks to his designs for the band including the sleeve for their debut album Never Mind the Bollocks, here’s the Sex Pistols. This essentially formed the instantly recognisable cut and paste, ragged and deafeningly punk visual identity for the band. Less explored, however, is the visual identity for Lydon’s next band, Public Image Limited (PiL).

The visuals surrounding PiL were instrumental in rethinking things like packing design, and along with Factory Records’ output (most notably the sandpaper pack for the Durutti Column’s Tee Return of the Durutti Column, designed to destroy other records) helped show that the structure of a sleeve could be as creatively executed as the designs it bore. The case in point is PiL’s second album Metal Box, designed by Dennis Morris packaged in a metal film canister that housed three 12” records.

This seminal piece of design is now to go on show at the ICA in an exhibition celebrating Dennis’ work with the band. Starting in March, the show presents photographs and ephemera from 1978-9, which explore “the evolution of the band’s identity, from their influential journey to Jamaica in 1978 to the design of the iconic Metal Box,” according to the ICA.

Dennis Morris: PiL – First Issue to Metal Box runs from 23 March – 15 May 2016 at the ICA Fox Reading Room

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Dennis Morris:PiL’s first ever UK gigs on Christmas Day and Boxing Day at The London Rainbow Theatre (1978)

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Dennis Morris:John Lydon, Jamaica 1978

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Dennis Morris: PiL’s second album Metal Box (1979)

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Dennis Morris: First PiL band shot, John Lydon’s home in Gunter Grove, Chelsea (1978)

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Emily Gosling

Emily joined It’s Nice That as Online Editor in the summer of 2014 after four years at Design Week. She is particularly interested in graphic design, branding and music. After working It's Nice That as both Online Editor and Deputy Editor, Emily left the company in 2016.

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