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Ken Garland: Structure & Substance

This monograph, written, jointly edited, co-designed and co-published by Shaughnessy, looks at the life and work of graphic designer Ken Garland. Through analysis of his personal archive – meticulously catalogued and preserved in the studio in which he has practised since the 1960s – and via interviews with Garland himself and his wide circle of friends and colleagues, a portrait of Garland as one of the most significant and influential graphic designers of the past 50 years was drawn. The book reveals Garland as a craftsman-like designer whose modernist tendencies radically differentiated him from the other British graphic designers of the 1950s, when he first began work as a professional designer.

The book, based on primary research, asserts that Garland’s reputation rests not on his graphic work, but rather on his rich archive of writings on political and ethical matters, and with his innovative teaching methods. Unusually for a graphic designer, Garland has accumulated a substantial body of writing. With access to these texts – some unpublished – Shaughnessy charts Garland’s influence on contemporary practice. Through interviews with former teaching colleagues and students, Shaughnessy demonstrates how Garland’s continuing influence is attributable to the impact he has had on successive generations as a teacher of design.

By working in close collaboration with Garland and many of his associates from different stages of his life, Shaughnessy has made a substantial contribution to Garland scholarship. Response to the book was highly favourable. Creative Review (2013) devoted an entire issue to Garland’s work: numerous other publications and blogs have published reviews. A symposium at St Bride Library, London (2013) was over-subscribed two-fold. The book’s publication has resulted in numerous invitations to Garland and Shaughnessy to speak at conferences in the UK, Europe, Australia and the USA.