North Swoosh

Similar to The North Is Ace series, the North Swoosh was another exploration of combining ‘brand vandalism’ with a love of Northern England. I wanted to try and create a series of works that celebrated my Northern-ness while trying to instil some pride in other fellow Northerners. Clothing logos felt like the perfect angle; the highly sought after and limited capsule collections of the streetwear industry were the ideal sort of buzz I wanted to generate with these Northern inspired pieces. Where as The North Is Ace began as a series of paper based art prints and later developed into an item of clothing, the North Swoosh as a graphic device never felt quite right when used on paper. This was always going to look best on clothing!

The North Swoosh series 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 fact that these pieces subvert big brands works on a number of levels. The original brand recognition becomes recognition of another proud fellow Northerner, while the rebellious act of hijacking an existing logo itself feels very Northern. We are prepared to bend a few rules to get where we want to be and when we do arrive, we will hold our ground. Standing tall, proud, defiant, and Northern.