The New Aesthetic

“When I think about imagery and New Order, I instantly think of all the sleeves,” says Wakefield of his approach to the commission, “but rather than showing a montage of them, which have been much seen, admired and recognised, I wondered how recognisable are they?” I was curious to find out,” he continues, “if I reduced them in some way, could they still be recognisable? I tried blurring and distorting them, but they rapidly became something else, however by simplifying them to their basic colour elements, they appeared to remain true to their iconic designs.”

Clash magazine’s New Order cover