Perspective
From Nothing, Something Merch Debrief
ACR20: Behind the scenes of ‘From Nothing, Something’
- Date
- 16.10.2023
At its core, the identity of ‘From Nothing, Something’ explores the idea of Acrylicize as the holder of space for art and creation to grow from.
At the start of summer, the Acrylicize team created a rooftop vegetable garden at The Art House. Small but mighty, the garden yielded more than any of us expected - first came strawberries, then tomatoes, followed by cucumbers, and an assortment of herbs.
It was this little garden that sparked the initial conversations between Lawrence Stewart and James Burke that eventually led to the identity for the ‘From Nothing, Something’ event, animations, signage and merchandise - created to celebrate 20 years of Acrylicize.
Food for thought
Compost was the unlikely, magical compound that tied everything together for the name and identity. It helps life to grow and flourish in our roof garden, but also acts as a metaphor to represent the Acrylicize ecosystem; fertile ground from which our work, relationships and legacy can grow.
Following the conversation on the roof, and connecting the dots between compost, nature and the role of Acrylicize, Lawrence started compiling imagery, sketches and annotations from old guerilla gardening zines. He dug out beautiful, hand-crafted records, with scanned outtakes, illustrations and clusters of handwritten notes. Lawrence took this and ran, and created a set of designs that played at the intersection of every conversation and observation that preceded.
Digging deep into the design
There’s a lot of meaning behind the identity and final designs - here’s a look at a few of the key elements.
Firstly, the Tree. It encapsulates the past (the roots), present (the human figure) and future (the branches) of Acrylicize. It’s about acknowledging the past 20 years, appreciating the people that have been, and continue to be, part of the Acrylicize ecosystem, and nodding to the future; the work, the creativity and the legacy we want to create. For the t-shirts, an extra set of graphics were designed to communicate three key tenets of the Acrylicize ecosystem - you can find out more by scrolling through the images below.
Tree graphic: A representation of the past, present and future of Acrylicize.
Acrylicize cycle: The virtuous cycle that underpins the purpose of the studio
Shared Consciousness: A nod to the power of collaboration through which the studio exists
Symbiotic associations: The nurturing of ideas and opportunities, key to Acrylicize’s continued evolution
The bespoke graphic language and identity tied together each element of the event, merchandise and assets - from beer labels, to animations, tote bags and wristbands.
Bespoke wrist bands
Acrylicize x Camden's 3 Locks Brewery
