Reasons to Be Cheerful

Reasons to be Cheerful is the first book about the influential British visual artist Barney Bubbles (July 1942 – November 1983).

Described in The Sunday Times as "fascinating and definitive", Reasons to be Cheerful is written by Paul Gorman and contains close to 600 images, many rare and previously unpublished, including photographs, working sketches, artist notebooks and original artwork.

According to The Word,, Gorman's book is "a glorious tribute", The PiX hails it as "a lavishly illustrated celebration" and design blog Ace Jet 170 as "the most exciting publication this year".

The book also features an essay by Peter Saville, a foreword by Malcolm Garrett and an introduction by Billy Bragg.

Among those interviewed for the book are college friends, colleagues from Conran Design, OZ and Friends/Frendz, Jake Riviera, Dave Robinson, Nik Turner, Will Birch, Nick Lowe, Rat Scabies, Derek Boshier, Rebecca & Mike, Neil Spencer, Justin de Blank, Caramel Crunch, Diana Fawcett, Brian Griffin, Chris Gabrin, Bob Bromide, family members, and friends.

Bubbles' workmate John May describes the book as "extremely fine and timely" and continues: "Paul Gorman has thoroughly and scrupulously documented Barney's life and times in this new publication which should stand for many years as the seminal work. For those of us who knew him, the book will bring back memories of the impish delight Barney took in his friends and colleagues, his electric enthusiasm for his work, his constant innovations and unending search for the new and above all his inspiring and fun-filled presence.

"For those coming fresh to his work, particularly young artists, illustrators and graphic designers, they will find a huge source of inspiration and marvel at the effort and industry involved in achieving many of his finest artworks in that pre-digital, hands-on age of yore."

Rick Poynor, British writer and expert on design, graphic design, typography and visual culture writes in a review of the book for Design Observer, "Bubbles badly needed a monograph and now, finally, he has one, Paul Gorman’s Reasons to be Cheerful: The Life and Work of Barney Bubbles. Gorman has pulled off a feat no one else has managed and I wish I liked the book more."

"Unfortunately, he doesn’t know enough about the history, culture and practice of graphic design to analyze the visual aspects of Bubbles’ work with any precision or nuance, or to locate him with authoritative detail on the maps of British and international graphic design. The book continually asserts BB’s brilliance without explaining it convincingly."

"The haphazard placement of images in Reasons to be Cheerful, far from where they are mentioned, is a pain: the book is not well designed."

Reasons to be Cheerful is published by independent British imprint Adelita.

Notes

1. Rob Hughes, Pop Goes The Easel, Sunday Times, November 23 2008

2. The Word, Roll Over Rauschenberg, November 2008.

3. The PiX, issue 26, November 2008

4. AceJet 170, A Reason To Be Over The Blooming Moon, November 11, 2008

5. The Generalist, Barney Bubbles Book Launch Exclusive, November 21, 2008

External links

• "Reasons To Be Cheerful: The Life & Work Of Barney Bubbles" Publisher page about the book.
• Barney Bubbles: Optics and Semantics Review of the book by Rick Poynor at Design Observer.
• The sleeve designs of Barney Bubbles - Times Online Review of the book by Rob Hughes.