INTERVIEW: Buzzcocks album artist has Manchester exhibition

DESIGN Manchester is back for 2017 with a new exhibition featuring the artwork of Malcolm Garrett, whose work graced several Buzzcocks album covers.

The various exhibitions set up around Manchester include Fizzing at the Terminals at Plant Noma, Orgasm Addict Reframed at The Refuge, and Times Up: a masterclass at the University of Bolton with speakers that include the artist himself.

The artist, 61, who designed many iconic Buzzcocks covers, said: “It’s been 40 years since the release of the single Orgasm Addict in October 1977, which was my first ever record sleeve design. It was therefore quite natural that Design Manchester should celebrate that moment, which we’ve done in two ways.

“Firstly with a retrospective exhibition of all of my work for Buzzcocks from 1977 onwards… and secondly to bring it up to date we commissioned as many designers as we could to re-imagine that sleeve as Orgasm Addict Reframed.

The exhibition has had a great response. Garrett added: “I am stunned at the number of people we’ve had respond in such a positive way to the Orgasm Addict Reframed project, and I have to say somewhat humbled too.

“It’s been a fantastic response with about 120 submissions from designers all over the world. I can’t wait for the party on Wednesday to celebrate all of this works.”

Garrett’s part in the Manchester art scene has been varied over the years, however his work with the iconic punk group The Buzzcocks seems to have stood the test of time.

He said: “The relationship with Buzzcocks has always been great. I was a part of the ‘scene’ in Manchester in 1977 to 78 that inspired us both in what turned out to be quite complementary ways, and as we’ve both since progressed we continued to work with one another on and off over the years.

“With the benefit of being able to look back more objectively, it enables us all to appreciate what special things we have done together and appreciate the influence that has had, an hopefully continues to have, with other musicians and designers.

“I guess it’s lasted this long because together we both always strove for a timelessness in our work, and if we were at all successful in that goal then the work and that relationship remains fresh.”

The exhibitions in collaboration with design Manchester 2017 run until Sunday October 22.