Vaughan
Oliver might be better known through the design firms through which he’s
worked, v23 and 23 Envelope, but his aesthetic speaks for itself. The British
designer has created countless works for various indie artists since the early
1980s, the vast (vast!) majority of his commissions for the long-running label
4AD. Frankly, almost every artist on the label has had something designed by
Oliver at some point, from the Cocteau Twins to the Pixies, TV on the Radio,
The Breeders, Mountain Goats and Throwing Muses. That barely scratches the
surface, but no matter how different his work can be depending on the
individual piece, there are always distinct themes to be found. There’s always
a keen, sleek typographic element, often juxtaposed with an ambiguous or
abstract image. His work balances an elegant order with a kind of beautiful
chaos. And it’s pretty much always gorgeous, even when it’s at its most
bizarre.
