Richard Evans

Richard Evans was born in 1945 on the same day as Eric Clapton – and that’s where the similarity ends. He studied fashion design at Nottingham School of Art in the 1960s followed by a post-graduate course in graphic design at Leicester. His brief forays into the rag trade were as a shoe designer in the early ‘70s, putting multi-coloured platforms under the feet of Elton John, George Harrison, Roxy Music and The Osmonds.

It was at this time that he met Aubrey Powell and Storm Thorgerson, seminal designers of rock album covers, and became their graphic designer at Hipgnosis, eventually setting up his own design studio in 1976. He has produced work for a variety of artistes including Paul McCartney, The Doors, Robert Plant, Pink Floyd, Public Image Ltd., World Party, Bill Wyman and Van Morrison, plus countless album packages for a diverse range of musical genres.

He is mostly known for his work with The Who, with whom he has worked since 1976, designing anything and everything for them from album covers to tour merchandise, his first assignment being a centrefold nude photograph of Keith Moon for a Who tour programme – talk about a baptism by fire!

Richard’s recent work for The Who includes the cover design for Endless Wire, their first studio album in 24 years and as art director of www.thewho.com, their first official web site.

EXHIBITIONS

• At most good record shops over the past 35 years.

• Retrospective: Chelsea Arts Club, March 2005

• Maximum Art, Richard Evans’ artworks for The Who, The Marquee Club, November 2007

STATEMENT

“Chairs have always played an important part in art. La Giaconda had to have sat on something.”

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