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LAURENT FÉTIS
SOCIAL CLUB
PENTAGRAM
BEAT IV In the heart of Paris, in a building that used be the printworks where French newspapers like
Le Figaro were once printed, is the home of a new club venue called Social Club. The space,
An old salty sea dog’s tale of adventure, superstition, death and ghostly gothic goings-on, The which has been refurbished by young Parisian architectural studio Exyzt, is now decked out in
Rime of the Ancient Mariner has inspired artists and illustrators since it was first published in a sexy black and neon grid-structure décor, with striplights zigzagging across the ceiling. But
1798. Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s epic Romantic poem has been reinterpreted for the twenty- Social Club has not totally forgotten its venue’s links to newspaper history. Every month Social
first century in Beat IV, the latest publication from illustration agency Heart. Designed by Club publishes an eponymous newspaper, art-directed by cult designer and all-round Paris
Pentagram’s Angus Hyland and his team (Masumi Briozzo and Kyle Wheeler), this incarnation hipster Laurent Fétis.
of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner sits somewhere between a classic illustrated novel and
a latter-day design magazine, bursting with lively large-scale visuals from Heart’s thirty-six- Doubling as a detailed listing for the club (which has already played host to performances
strong roster of talented illustrators. by 2 Many DJs, Justice, DJ Hell, Erol Alkan, Yuksek, D*I*R*T*Y* Soundsystem and the like), the
publication also features interviews with musicians, accompanied by artwork by a guest illus-
A cautionary tale full of twists and turns, towering leaps of the imagination and vivid descrip- trator each month. So far Fétis has enlisted the skills of Will Sweeney, So Me, Julie Verhoeven,
tions of the Mariner’s seafaring ordeal, Coleridge’s poem is rich-pickings for any visual artist. Shoboshobo and Gaspirator for the inner pages, while he creates each month’s racy loved-
Taking its inspiration from the era of illustrated versions of the Ancient Mariner such as Gustav up cover illustration.
Dore’s famous rendition of 1876, the Pentagram team used the graphic language of old books
with classically inspired page layouts and empty picture frames as backgrounds for the art Fétis’s liaison with Social Club began when the team behind the club approached him while
work. The inside cover and dust jacket feature a classic repeat pattern reminiscent of the type it was still a concept. Involved since the start, he’s also created Social Club’s identity and logo-
found on old endpapers, updated here on the front cover by Jimmy Turrell’s beautifully blood- type, and designs its regular posters and flyers alongside the monthly newspaper. Next up will
thirsty illustration and subtle blind embossing of the Beat masthead. It’s a fine read for all art- be a collection of graphics for the club’s interior. Save a place for us in the queue.
loving shipmates.
www.pentagram.co.uk,
www.heartagency.com www.laurentfetis.com,
www.parissocialclub.com,
www.exyzt.net
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