British artist and commercial designer Gary Card is something of a Peter Pan. And he’s the first to admit it. “I am a ’90s kid through and through, a perpetual man-child. The comic books and video games I played as a child are all over my work.”
Card’s aesthetic – embraced by the likes of Jean Paul Gaultier, Hermès and the late Vivienne Westwood – is vibrant, loud and messy. Think: psychedelia meets Wallace and Gromit. Not neat and tidy, yet more composed than random, his installations and images, infused with Starburst colors, are wildly exuberant. While clients crave his imaginative ways, Card is quick to note that he doesn’t always enjoy carte blanche. “A lot of the time, you leave your ego at the door when working with luxury brands. Clients have a very specific idea of what they want to achieve and who their audience is, so the key thing is flexibility. If you get too caught up in trying to achieve a particular idea with a campaign, you are probably going to get your heart broken, so being flexible, adaptable and patient is what you need to be.” Case in point: the piece he’s cradling above – an antique doll’s head he adorned with a coiffure of clay. “It’s a proposal for a series of headpieces I made for a Comme des Garçons show last year. Sadly, this idea didn’t make the cut. I keep it around as an ornament now.”
When he’s not creating sets for the fashion world, Card makes curious sculptures in his Hackney studio, formed of cut and twisted masking tape. With their fantastical features and funny poses, they can stand proudly alongside the critters of Dr. Seuss or Maurice Sendak. He’s got five proper projects in the works now but must remain mum. “I’m not allowed to disclose information about any of them yet, but I can’t wait to reveal!”
Photography by Taran Wilkhu.
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