Episode 23 – Andie Airfix / Satori

ABOVE: Samples from the Andie Airfix/Satori portfolio along with a 16 year old me, wearing a Thompson Twins t-shirt featuring one of his classic logo designs.

Graphic designer, painter and sleeve artist, Andie Airfix was born in Scotland but grew up in Warrington in the north west of England. After studying art and English literature at Chester teacher training college, he spent almost a year teaching art and English in Southampton. In 1970 he started travelling around the USA, Canada and Mexico, a trip funded by selling psychedelic paintings to poster companies in New York and San Francisco. On his return to the UK, he spent some time in Devon where he concentrated on painting and writing before heading off again to India for a few years.

His is a fascinating life story, involving some of the biggest rock and pop bands of the 1970s–1990s with whom he formed an integral and lasting creative bond. Sadly, Andie Died in 2018 a few years after relocating his design studio called ‘Satori‘ from London to Brighton, UK. You can find out more about Andie’s life and work on his website but in this podcast episode I speak with his brother, Tony, all about Andie’s work, design legacy and the impressive exhibition that he has created at Warrington Museum and Art Gallery –  Saturday 3 February until Sunday 31 March 2024.

A book about Andie’s extensive portfolio is also in the works by Tony and I’ll share information about it in the ‘Art on your sleeve’ Facebook group as soon as I hear anything, link below. In the meantime, check out the link below for a short BBC film about the exhibition.

ABOVE: BBC TV interview with Tony McGuire about the Warrington Museum and Art Gallery exhibition. 

LEFT: Very early leaflet design to promote Biddie and Eve by Andie Airfix for the Blitz club in London from August 1978.

Andie Airfix/Satori official website: andieairfix.com (no longer updated)

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