Interview: Salford Designer Harrison Edwards

Our latest interview in the series is brought to you this afternoon, this time with designer, screen printer and University of Salford student Harrison Edwards. Here we pick Harrison’s brains about his creative background, experiences and design style.

Hi Harrison, could you firstly describe for our readers how you fit into the creative world?

First off I’d like to give you a big thanks for having me. It’s pretty snug. I’ve been really lucky recently I’ve had the chance to work with and spend time with a lot of great people who have been a huge inspiration. Like Savwo, Doctor Me and the great people from Upper Space. It’s been so great to slowly immerse my self into their world full time.

When did you discover your love for design and illustration?

Mainly I blame my Dad for this, when I was younger he was always drawing or painting and I used to ask him to draw things for me, his usual reply was telling me to draw it myself. I think he’s still got that first Bugs Bunny drawing I did. That’s really where it all started. Friends and family have really influenced what I’m doing today too. I was around 13 and I said I was going to be a graphic designer, I don’t think I knew what it was.

Since then I’ve discovered so many great artists such as Morning Breath, Jeremy Fish, Drew Millward, Skaffa. All of these people have swayed me in the direction that I’m heading. Every new artist I find gives me a new love for what I do. It’s hard as a creative to try and stay inspired. Sometimes you just have to stop and look at all the great things happening right now to keep you going.

What path through education did you take? Did it have a large influence on your decision to move into the arts?

The High School I went to was a visual arts school, so they definitely tried to push you in that direction. It was great being rewarded so young for something that you loved doing. Since then I went on to college to study Design and now I’m in my last year of University in Salford. It definitely all stemmed from those years at South Wirral High School.

How would you describe your illustrative style?

I’d say my style has developed from a big love of comics and cartoons as a kid, I like to try and keep that imaginative spark going. I draw the things I like and try put a piece of myself into everything I do, I think until you know exactly what you like and what you’re like you’ll never develop. I’d like to think that’s what I’ve been learning over the last year; a better way to express my self.

Manchester has a growing creative community, do you take part in local events and exhibitions? Are you a regular in the city’s Northern Quarter?

Yeah, Definitely. There are some good things going on here at the moment, every week there’s a new show. The Northern Quarter is doing a great job of providing artists, like myself, with a platform for showcasing the cities hive of incredible talents. I also spend a lot of time working in the Northern Quarter, on Saturday’s you can find me holding a sign for Junk Shop on Dale Street, so I get to watch the people and see how it’s been changing over the last year.

You produce both digital work and prints, which medium/ area do you prefer to work with?

I much prefer working digitally it gives me a level of control that I am happy with but I do love making a mess as well. I like taking those digitally produced images and turning them into more than an image on a screen. Now I’ve started working as a screen printer, I’ve started experimenting a lot more, so who knows where it’s going to go from here. It has a whole new level of satisfaction to it, printing things by-hand yourself.

You have designed album covers and a number of gig-posters, are you involved in music yourself?

Not personally, although I did try. I’ve just been fortunate enough to grow up with and meet a lot of very talented people along the way musicians and writers, who in one way or another have been a huge inspiration and help getting me going. We’re all kind of trying to break out at the same time; I strongly suggest you check out some bands like Opie Deino, and Hideaways. As well as www.ifonlyuk.com.

What five items could you not live without and why?

Without my laptop I would be screwed, figuratively. So that would be my number one every time. It has every bit of work I’ve done over the last 4 years; I should really back that up soon.

My new studio, I love this place, I couldn’t imagine working anywhere else now.

Apart from that I’d love to live in the wild, so I think I’d be pretty ok with out a lot of things, I’d definitely need my iPod though and record collection. I’d take all of that with me as well.