Big Active
Big Active is a London based design studio.
The company was founded in 1990 by Gerard Saint, Paul Heatherington and Mark Watkins. Only Saint now remains (as creative director) but the company went through a major transition in the mid 90's with the addition of Greg Burne, who now heads the illustration roster and Mat Maitland who, with Saint, art directed numerous high profile and award winning music campaigns. The company represents a number of well known commercial artists, illustrators and designers.
The current line up of Big Active commercial artists include: Sanna Annukka, Jasper Goodall, Kate Gibb, David Foldvari, Kristian Russell, Genevieve Gauckler, Kam Tang, Will Sweeney, Parra, Jody Barton, Mat Maitland, Mat Furie, Siggi Eggertsson, Jesse Auersalo, Filipe Jardim and Vania Zouravliov.
Big Active have also produced numerous high profile music campaigns, branding and packaging for artists such as Beck, Goldfrapp, Garbage, Futureheads, Basement Jaxx, Sugababes, Snow Patrol, Keane, The Charlatans and Boy Kill Boy.
Book design credits include the David Bailey photo-book 'Chasing Rainbows', Jocelyn Bain Hogg's photo-documentary on London's gangster underworld - 'The Firm', and Deidre O'Callaghan's 'Hide That Can' as well as their own 1995 publication 'Head-Heart-Hips'.
Editorial art direction highlights have included fashion magazines 'Scene' and the 1999 rebirth of Nova magazine.
More recently the company have been in the news due to the high profile nature of the latest Beck campaign for The Information.
External links
- Big Active Official Website
- Jody Barton - Big Active Artist's Website
- Interview with Big Active's Gerard Saint re Beck's The Information
- Big Active Interview with Gerard Saint
- Mat Maitland - Big Active Art Director/Artist website