A new website for Chris Killip
“One of the UK's most important and influential post-War photographers.”
While photography is the hobby I enthuse about, it is web design which keeps me from mischief and puts a roof over our head. On occasion the stars align and I am lucky enough to combine the two.
A couple of weeks ago I launched a new website for Chris Killip.
Described by the BBC as“one of the UK's most important and influential post-War photographers.”
Chris Killip by unknown photographer.
I have been a long time admirer of his photos. I visited his fine retropsective at the Photographers Gallery in London in late January. Over a relaxed pint in a wood panelled London pub I tweeted about how the exhibition was all I had hoped for and more.
Two hours later an email arrived from his son who had seen the tweet, visited my website and was impressed with the website I had designed for the Saul Leiter Foundation.
He asked if I’d be interested in developing a new website for Chris Killip.
I couldn’t say yes fast enough.
Chris Killip immersed himself into the communities he photographed and produced an unflinching document of Britain in the 1970’s and 80’s .
He said of himself, “I became the photographer of the deindustrial revolution by default, I didn’t set out to be this. It’s what was happening all around me during the time I was photographing.”
Design background
The initial inspiration for the design came from Chris Killip’s seminal book In Flagrante Two. The book has one photo per double page spread. Black and white photos on a white page. Not many words. All in a black sans-serif font.
Minimal distraction. The photos are all.
For the font, I chose Work Sans. It felt appropriate. His photographs documented the impact on people’s lives as Britain suddenly changed from a manufacturing to a service economy.
Also, two of his photobooks have “work” in their title. Both published by Steidl - Pirelli Work (2006) and albeit / work (2012).
To inject a little colour, the dash of cream and dark red was inspired by his most recent publication, Chris Killip 1946-2020.
The new website has galleries of his work, a selection of films (including this poignant one filmed by his son in 2020) and a full list of his photobooks.
It’s been an honour to work with the Chris Killip Trust to design this website.
If you were unfortunate to miss his recent exhibition at The Photographers Gallery, it is moving to the Baltic, Gateshead from 1st April to 3rd September 2023.
If you would like to explore more of Chris Killip’s work, his website is a fine place to start followed by a trip to an independent bookshop to purchase his recent retrospective Chris Killip 1946-2020.
Well done!! I'm off to the Baltic next week to peruse Chris' work. Much of what he photographed in Wallsend etc has now long disappeared but some of the street names retained if not the buildings. Including Joan Street that was pronounced 'Jo An'. I'm much looking forward to my first viewing (there will probably be more). I suspect I'll be moved as much as my viewing of Anthony Gormley's 'Domain' some 20 years ago that was specifically commissioned for the Baltic not long after it opened. Another great example of regeneration in the Northeast.
It's a lovely virtual home for such a striking body of work. Newly converted to Chris' work and look forward to looking longer and at more of it.