The North Is Ace

The North Is Ace started as a piece I made to entertain myself, combining my appreciation of ‘brand vandalism’ projects with a love of Northern England. I wouldn’t consider myself patriotic or necessarily proud to be British, but I am very happy and proud that my roots are in the North of England. I don’t think I am on my own in this sentiment, so I wanted to try and create a series of works that could highlight this fact and perhaps instil some pride in other fellow Northerners. Clothing logos felt like the perfect angle; the highly sought after collectors editions and limited capsule collections of the streetwear industry were the ideal sort of buzz I wanted to generate with these Northern inspired pieces.

The North Is Ace artwork is about celebrating the North Of England; the landscapes both beautiful and brutal, the people both amiable and weird, and everything in between. The place you may leave, but the place you are still proud to call home. The North Is Ace screen-printed posters were the first Secret Industries products to signal a change in direction of my ‘for sale’ artwork. You could argue that this design is responsible for all my other work since! A print inspired by my love of being from the North Of England, and a particular clothing label. The printed posters often utilise a colour that takes reference from something inherently Northern, while the seasonal editions on coloured paper stock celebrate particular calendar events such as Valentines Day or Halloween. The clothing editions are always limited numbers, with custom extras and carefully considered colour schemes.