”Miles is the most famous British artist that nobody knows !!” STIK 2023
An Extinction Rebellion banner with one of my skull illustrations, put up on a bridge between Norway and Sweden, 2021 by @ExtinctionR_SV , I assume they got taken off to jail, : ( , great work !!!!
Miles Glyn is one of the Original Art Group that created the Visual and Communications identity of Extinction Rebellion. Clare Farrell and Miles where working on the #BODYPOLITIC project already. They teamed up with Clive Russell and Charlie Waterhouse of ‘This Aint Rock n Roll’. We had a meeting with Roger Hallam, where he set out the mission, which would become Extinction Rebellion.
Miles started drawing and created a Lino Block, ‘First Skull for XR’ to be printed on Hi-Vis vests, along with Blocks using the ‘Extinction Symbol’ which was designed by ‘Goldfrog ESP’. Miles designed some and oversaw the making of most of the handmade art assets for the early events in his house in Hackney, this became the XR- Art-Factoy. The print images he created were used by Clive Russell to create the stunning graphics for print and online.
First Skull for XR 2018
Graphics for XR by Clive Russell
Later Miles wrote a chapter in the XR handbook, THIS IS NOT A DRILL, and made illustrations.
From 2018 we worked on the XR project, I hand cut all these Lino blocks and would print up high-vis for the first actions, then printing onto clothes.
Around this time i bought my first set of woodtype, i did a heavily inked set of prints that used to design the XR font Fucxed caps.
The first blocks saying EXTINCTION REBELLION, before Clive designed the logotype.
A sandtimer to go on a human back.
Then the logotype !!
We wanted to soften the visual messaging so i made a butterfly, all the blocks in the begining where designed to go on the human body, as an extension of the #BODYPOLITIC project, so maximum 240mm wide.
With these Lino and wood blocks, and using quick drying ink we can print anywhere, this is in the middle of the road in Hackney, in a pre-first-rebellion out reach event.
Goldfrog ESP designed the ‘Extinction Symbol’, and designed the flags, he wanted them to not be like nation flags, he cut a wood block and we printed all the flags in my house. After XR got very big we got a warehouse to work in, the new Art-Factory !!
Flag printing in my kitchen.
The reveal.
Flags drying in the kitchen.
And on the first floor.
I made a bee to symbolise ‘Citizens Assemblies’, flag designed by Clive Russell.
When it became apparent that April 2019 was gonna be big, it meant that we needed other assets, i made a block in a rush and we made these.
As events got larger I started screen printing patches.
Off course the whole house got covered in patches.
Some of the sheets of patches travelled far across the world, as XR did.
We hand painted banners also, later on I made giant word blocks and giant picture blocks so that we could mass produce these.
I made a scaled up Butterfly block, 750mm across, we used it on human banners and these flags.
There was a lot of sewing, I’m okay at sewing, but Corinna is a whizz !!!
For April 2019, Clare Farrell wanted a printing station at each location, so we had these blocks made by CNC machines.
For each site we made up a kit box, Banners, flags, patches, printing kits etc…
BIBLIOGRAPHY
THIS IS NOT A DRILL
I wrote a chapter in this about how to make an ”Art Factory”, edited by Clare Farrell, it uses my illustrations, thanks Clive. The chapter helped to spread the whole art thing around the world, eventually we got a warehouse and the ‘Art Factory’ still lives !!! Printed on recycled paper, and using a dead penguin and a fluro colour, all battles Clive had top fight !!!
WANN WNN NICHT WIR*
WANN WNN NICHT WIR*
DId even more illustrations for this, it was a time of doing things in a rush, the book was even more of an instrustion manual, which is what we always wanted. Also used other illusrators work !! The book is a very beautiful object, it made Clive jump up and down !!!
Fischerverlage.de: Extinction Rebellion Wann Wenn Nicht Wir
BRANDED PROTEST
They took us to Amsterdam !!!!
BISPUBLISHERS: BRANDED PROTEST
DARK MOUNTAIN ISSUE 17
Very honoured to have a spread of illustrations in here.
Dark mountain: 17 Restoration and Renewal
CHALLENGE EVERYTHING: An Extinction Rebellion Youth guide to saving the planet
Mine and other illustrations here, Blue is great, they did great actions including being in a tunnel !!!! and the government tried to put them in jail, and failed !!!! I like the ‘Instruction Manual’ thing going on !!!
Waterstones: Challenge Everything, Blue Sandford.
Upcoming Concise History of Illustration 2024
