Gray Matter

After cycling around the Clerkenwell area for the best part of half an hour, Chris Gray finally arrived at Figtree, just in time to help himself to some of our chef’s moussaka.

Most designers will be familiar with Chris’ work, and have probably referenced him on a few moodboards over the years. If you’re not, just type his name into one of the many design blogs or bookmarking sites that are out there, and you’ll soon see the fruits of his labour. He has worked with some amazing people, and some great brands, including Nike, Howies, Umbro and Freitag to name a few. He is also founder of the illustration collective Toy, and was this year named “One To Watch’ by Creative Review. Not too shabby for someone in their mid-twenties.

Chris’ talk was entitled ‘A Series Of Questionable Decisions' and what followed was an insight into the stories and adventures that have led Chris to doing the work he does and making the decisions he has. To use his words, what he was about to show was a load of “stuff”, as “flicking through work can just get boring.”

Chris took us on a journey with various images and photographs he had collected. These ranged from Swedish countryside images to working with fellow artists at Toy to more random images such as the biggest cardboard tube he had ever seen, to being made to photograph a Nike event from the back of the room because he wasn’t wearing the correct brand of trainers.

What came across more than anything throughout the presentation was Chris’ determination to do what he wanted. Yes, he does the commercial work, but this almost supplements the decisions he makes regarding the direction of his personal work.

His decision to leave the ad agency where he started out his career and start Toy was a brave one. His decision to move to the Swedish countryside without a phone was also admirable. These decisions may have seemed questionable at the time, but they seem more than justified when looking at the work he has produced and the people he has worked with. I think this is also evident in the fact his work doesn’t really have a definable style.

Chris was introduced as an illustrator (sorry Chris!). But after listening to him speak and looking through his imagery, it’s clear that he is a creative thinker of the highest order. And whether the medium is photography, film, illustration, or painting, his talent and eagerness to try new things always shines through, and it inspired us all.

The only gray area is what he will do next.

www.christophergray.eu
www.weshallsee.co.uk

Words - Graeme Cook
Photos - Lucie Raufast