Alan Kitching (typographic artist)

Alan Kitching RDI AGI Hon FRCA (born 1940) is a practitioner of letterpress typographic design and printmaking. Kitching exhibits and lectures across the globe, and is known for his expressive use of wood and metal letterforms in commissions and limited-edition prints.^[1]^[2]

Early life

Born 1940 in Darlington, Co. Durham, he was an apprentice compositor (1956–61). From 1962 to 1964 he was a technician in hand and line type composition, Department of Printing, Watford College of Technology, Herts. After meeting Anthony Froshaug (the new head of department) Kitching co-established the experimental printing workshop at Watford College of Technology. Kitching later continued to collaborate with Froshaug on student projects at the Central School of Art & Design.

Professional career

In 1973 Alan began his own design practice in London with Colin Forbes. In 1977 he partnered with Derek Birdsall and Martin Lee at Omnific and started letterpress printing there in 1985. He began letterpress workshops in 1986 at Omnific Studios, Islington, London. He then went on to establish The Typography Workshop in Clerkenwell (1989). From 1994 he worked in partnership with designer/writer Celia Stothard (later his wife). In 1999, in partnership with designer and teacher, Celia Stothard FRSA, Kitching purchased a large collection of theatrical wood types, now named, 'Entertaining Types' and housed in Kennington, Lambeth, South London. [1]

Teaching

1967–70: Part-Time lecturer in Typography, School of Art, Watford College.
of Technology, Herts.
1968–72: Visiting lecturer in Graphic Design, Central School of Art & Design, London.
1973: Visiting lecturer, London College of Printing.
1974.75: Visiting lecturer, Goldsmiths College, University of London.
1988: Visiting lecturer in Graphic Design, Royal College of Art
1990-2000: University of Brighton, School of Graphic Design, visiting
lecturer.
1991–2006: Typography Workshops at Royal College of Art
1994: Colchester Institute, School of Art, visiting lecturer.
1993-1995: Glasgow School of Art, visiting lecturer.

Awards and Membership of professional bodies

Designers and Art Directors Association (D and AD) [2]
1999: Fellow of Chartered Society of Designers
1999: Member of Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI) [3]
1994: Royal Designer for Industry (RDI) [4]
1996: Member of the Designers and Art Directors Association (D&AD) 1997: Fellow of Royal Society of Arts
1998: Fellow of the Royal College of Art
2001: Visiting Professor The London Institute (now University of the Arts London)

Commissions

1999: Stamps for Royal Mail: Magna Carta Millennium series [5]
2000: Dazed & Confused Magazine — Typographic artwork for magazine cover
2000: D&AD — Typographic artwork for Invitation
2002: Poems on the buses for Transport for London
2002: Posters for the National Theatre's Transformation season of plays
2002: Stamps for the Royal Mail: Love Occasion series
2001/2003: Typographic artwork for The Guardian Newspaper^[3]
2003: Typographic artworks for VSO poster campaign 'We need professionals'
2002 : National Theatre — Typographic artwork for ‘On Love’ by Alan Bennett — London, UK
2003: Typographic mural for The Guardian Newspaper building reception
2005: The Guardian — Typographic artwork for alternative Front Page
2009: ONE Africa — Typographic artwork for poster
2011: Clarks Shoes — Typographic artwork for wall display — London, UK
2012: FT Weekend Magazine — Typographic artwork for magazine cover
2012: San Miguel — Typographic artwork for mural wall — Spain
2014: Southbank — Typographic artwork for mural wall — London, UK
2016: A Life in Letterpress: Alan Kitching — Book published ^[4]
2017: Glenlivet — Typographic artwork for packaging design
2017: National Union of Journalists — Typographic artwork for wall mural
2017: Comme des Garcons — Typographic artwork for apparel design
2018: Brexit — Typographic artwork for protest posters & merchandise
2018: Cleaver Square — Typographic artwork for signage
2018: FX — Typographic artwork for magazine cover
2018: Bridge Theatre — Typographic artwork for ‘Allelujah!’ production — London, UK
2018: Alan Kitching’s A-Z London — Box Set ^[5]
2018: Globe Theatre — Typographic artwork for ‘Emilia’ production — London, UK
2018: Tipoteca — Typographic artwork for museum — Cornuda, Italy
2019: British Airways — Typographic artwork for 100th year anniversary
2019: English Heritage — Typographic artwork for Corporate Identity for 2019
2019: Kia & Sunday Times — Typographic artwork for advertorial
2020: Folio Society — ‘ The Stories of English’ — Typographic artwork for book cover design
2020: FORA — Typographic artwork for Berners St Map
2020: Hall for Cornwall — Typographic artwork for triptych — Truro, UK
2020: Get Impressed — Typographic artwork for book cover design
2021: The Poster: A Visual History: ‘Taxi’ typographic artwork featured in book, V and A. ^[6]
2022: Berry Bros & Rudd Wine — Typographic artwork for spread in No. 3 catalogue
2022: Woman Life Freedom — Typographic artwork for campaign poster
2022: POMPE charity — Typographic artwork for online assets
2022: The Art File — Typographic artwork for greeting card collections
2023: PORT Magazine — Typographic artwork for editorial spread
2023: Collins Agency — Limited Edition Print for 15 year anniversary

Kiss - Graphic Poetry
Poster for National Theatre Transformation series.
Iraq war demo poster for The Guardian
Guardian graphic
Guardian graphic
'Spirited' for The Guardian
'Boldly' for The Guardian
Glory to the New Born King
'The Big Top' - The Wrington Suite
Burning books
Magna Carta
Stellar
Kew Gardens
A thing of beauty
Anti Brexit Poster
Braque Letterpress
Shipping Forecast
Crimson Clover
Time for Port
Kennington, London, Map
Design is hope
Merry Go round

Exhibitions

1992: Gallery at Pentagram, SOLO SHOW
1993: Royal College of Art, SOLO SHOW
1994: Crafts Council 'True to Type', 5 works, catalogue, ISBN 1870145 35 6
1994: D&AD "Festival of Excellence', 4 works
1994: Paperpoint shop, several works
1996: '20 Designers for a Silhouette', Centre Pompidou, Paris
1996: Royal Mail Stamps, London
1997: 'British Graphic Design', Cologne, Germany
1997: The Gallery at Pentagram, London
1998: Coningsby Gallery SOLO SHOW
1998: The British Pavilion, 'Information expertise @ UK'; The Library and Information Commission, Amsterdam
1999: 'A K TypeArt 98', The Coningsby Gallery, London, one man show
1999: The Coningsby Gallery — 'A K TypeArt 98', Solo Exhibition — London, UK
2000: 'Powerhouse', UK
2001: Gallery at Pentagram, 'In Darkest England'
2002: Gallery at Pentagram, London, one man show
2004: Public Address System, London and Berlin
2004: Pax Britannica, London Advanced Graphics London
2016: Somerset House [6]
2016: The Lighthouse, Glasgow
2017: Manning Tree — Solo Exhibition — London, UK
2018: London Craft Week — Open Studio — London, UK
2019: Chelsea Arts Club — Solo Exhibition — London, UK
2019: Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft — Solo Exhibition — Ditchling, UK
2021: Coningsby Gallery — Solo Exhibition — London, UK
2022: AGI Congress — Typographic poster — Group Exhibition— Trieste, Italy
2023: AGI Congress — Typographic poster — Group Exhibition — Auckland, New Zealand

Talks and conferences

1994: icograda, London
1995: icograda, Lisbon
1995: AGI (Alliance Graphique Internationale), Amalfi, Italy
1997: AGI (Alliance Graphique Internationale), Barcelona, Spain
1998: A Typ.1, Lyon, France
2002: University of NSW Sydney & AGI Ideas Melbourne Australia
2002: AGI (Alliance Graphique Internationale), Zurich/Pontresina, Switzerland
2003: Typo3 Johannesburg SA
2004: London College of Communication 23/6/04
2004: Forum Laus, Barcelona May 2004
2005: AGI (Alliance Graphique Internationale), Berlin

Guest lectures / Workshops

1966: 'Frontiers of Printmaking', Michael Rothenstein, Library of Congress 66-24551 ^[7]
1999-2000: Hereford - College of Art
1974 Printed in Watford, Watford School of Art, Herts.
1993: The Sixties, David Mellor^[8]
1994: D&AD Annual
1995: D&AD Annual
1996 D&AD Annual
1996: 'G1 subj: contemp, design, graphic,^[9]
1996: 'A Double Life of 80 AGI designers .....' Armando Milani/Burgo
1997 'First Choice', Ken Cato, ISBN^[10]
1999: Royal Mail Millennium Stamps
1999: New Design: London, The Edge of Graphic Design, Ed. E.M.Gomez, Rockport, USA, ISBN 1-56496-562-7 D&AD Annual
2000: Rotterdam - Willem de Kooning Academie
2000: Anthony Froshaug: Typography & Texts (2 vols), Robin Kinross ISBN 0-907259-13-8
2001: Master of the 20th Century, Ed. Mervyn Kurlansky/Icograda, Graphis, New York ISBN 1-888001-85-2
2002: Helvetica – Homage to a Typeface, Lars Müller, Switzerland ISBN 3-907044-87-8
2002: Copenhagen - I T University
2002: The Graphics Book, D&AD, Rotovision, ISBN 2-88046-550-8
2003: Creative Island, John Sorrell, Lawrence King, ISBN 1-85669-305-8
2003: The Thames & Hudson Dictionary of Graphic Design and Designers^[11]
2004: D&AD Workout
2004: University of Delaware
2015: Workshop, Tipoteca, Italy Books on Alan Kitching or featuring work
2015: Tipoteca — Legacy of Letter Tour & Workshop — Cornuda, Italy
2015: A-Z in Letterpress, Laurence King, London, ISBN 9781780674810
2016: A Life in Letterpress, Laurence King, London^[12]^[13]
2016: Hay Festival — Guest Lecturer & Book Signing — Wales, UK
2017: Letter Exchange — Guest Lecturer — London, UK
2018: Woolwich Art Fair — Letterpress Workshop & Lecturer — London, UK
2019: TIPO — Guest Lecturer — Azores, Portugal
2019: Lettering Arts Trust — Letterpress Workshop — London, UK
2019: The Typography Workshop — Letterpress Workshop — London, UK
2020: Residency Art Centre USA — Letterpress Workshop — California, USA
2020: Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft — Visiting Lecturer — Ditchling, UK
2021: ESAD, Superior School of Arts and Design — Letterpress Workshop — Porto, Portugal
2022: Falmouth University — Visiting Lecturer — Falmouth, UK
2022: Hall for Cornwall — Talk/Q&A — Cornwall, UK
2023: Collins Agency — Online Talk/Q&A — Remote

Bibliography

1970: 'Typography Manual', School of Art, Watford College of Technology

2016. 'A life in Letterpress, Laurence King, London.

References

^ Pires, Candice (2016-04-02). "A-Z living: an inside look at typographer Alan Kitching's home". The Guardian. Retrieved 2016-06-16.
^ ""I always try to have some logic to the job, to the work": we interview letterpress legend Alan Kitching". It's Nice That. 2016-03-31. Retrieved 2016-06-16.
^ "Alan Kitching on Press at The Guardian | Newspaper Club". blog.newspaperclub.com. Archived from the original on 2016-07-01. Retrieved 2016-06-16.
^ Walters, John L. (2016). Alan Kitching: a life in letterpress. London, United Kingdom: Laurence King Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78067-772-9.
^ "Coningsby Gallery – Shop - Alan Kitching's A-Z of London". www.coningsbygallery.com. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
^ The Poster: a visual history. London: Thames & Hudson. 2020. ISBN 978-0-500-48038-0.
^ Rothenstein, Michael (1966-01-01). Frontiers of printmaking: New aspects of relief printing. Studio VistaReinhold.
^ Mellor, David (1993). The sixties art scene in London. Phaidon Press. ISBN 0946372292.
^ Blackwell and Brody, Lewis and Nevill (1996). G1: Subj.; Contemp.Design, Graphic (Graphic Design). Massive books. ISBN 9781856690928.
^ Cato, Ken (1997). First Choice. Crafstman House. ISBN 976-6410-55-0.
^ Livingtson, Alan (2003). Thames and Hudson Dictionary of Graphic Design and Designers. Thames and Hudson. ISBN 0500203539.
^ Waters and Kitching, John L and Alan (2016). A life in letterpress. Lawrence King. ISBN 978-1780674810.
^ Sinclair, Mark (22 April 2016). "Alan Kitching a life in Letterpress". Creative Review. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.

[1] Pires, Candice (2016-04-02). "A-Z living: an inside look at typographer Alan Kitching's home". The Guardian. Retrieved 2016-06-16.

[2] ""I always try to have some logic to the job, to the work": we interview letterpress legend Alan Kitching". It's Nice That. 2016-03-31. Retrieved 2016-06-16.

[3] "Alan Kitching on Press at The Guardian | Newspaper Club". blog.newspaperclub.com. Archived from the original on 2016-07-01. Retrieved 2016-06-16.

[4] Walters, John L. (2016). Alan Kitching: a life in letterpress. London, United Kingdom: Laurence King Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78067-772-9.

[5] "Coningsby Gallery – Shop - Alan Kitching's A-Z of London". www.coningsbygallery.com. Retrieved 2023-11-02.

[6] The Poster: a visual history. London: Thames & Hudson. 2020. ISBN 978-0-500-48038-0.

[7] Rothenstein, Michael (1966-01-01). Frontiers of printmaking: New aspects of relief printing. Studio VistaReinhold.

[8] Mellor, David (1993). The sixties art scene in London. Phaidon Press. ISBN 0946372292.

[9] Blackwell and Brody, Lewis and Nevill (1996). G1: Subj.; Contemp.Design, Graphic (Graphic Design). Massive books. ISBN 9781856690928.

[10] Cato, Ken (1997). First Choice. Crafstman House. ISBN 976-6410-55-0.

[11] Livingtson, Alan (2003). Thames and Hudson Dictionary of Graphic Design and Designers. Thames and Hudson. ISBN 0500203539.

[12] Waters and Kitching, John L and Alan (2016). A life in letterpress. Lawrence King. ISBN 978-1780674810.

[13] Sinclair, Mark (22 April 2016). "Alan Kitching a life in Letterpress". Creative Review. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.

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