Over lockdown, I had the pleasure of being introduced to the work of a very talented typographer and decided to interview him for the blog. Meet British Lettering Artist Oli Frape — one very cool fella! Oli kindly sent me the ‘Unity’ print — a piece from his collection to add to mine. I’ve been a big fan of typography since studying Visual Communication at uni in Birmingham, and have had a soft spot for gorgeous type faces ever since! Here’s what Oli had to say when I winged him over to questions via good old email!

Lucie: Tell me a little bit about yourself... Cilla Black style: what’s your name and where do you come from?

Oli: My name is Oli Frape, I’m 38 years old and I’m a lettering artist. I’ve spent the last 12+ years working commercially, creating custom typography and lettering for global brands such as Absolut Vodka, Mercedes Benz, VW, Shinola, Tesco as well as UK based publications such as The Guardian and The Telegraph. I also design brand-marks and you might have seen my logotypes for Impulse fragrances or YES! Snacks. Having spent 12 years living in Hackney, east London, I relocated to Sheffield several years ago with my wife where we now live with our cat, Burt, and new puppy, Sylvie.

Lucie: When did your first realise you had a creative streak / a talent for typographic design?

Oli: My creative streak has pretty much been there since as long as I could remember. My mum is very artsy and I was always encouraged to draw as a child which I loved. The typographic angle was purely accidental - I have a degree in silversmithing and jewellery design which I realised early on wasn’t really for me. Then at some point in my mid 20’s whilst working in a dead-end job to make ends meet I started doodling some words to pass the time and fell in love with lettering. I’d begun early forays into freelance illustration already by this point but drawing the words I wanted to say turned out to be much more fulfilling for me so I just kept doing it.

Lucie: When I grow up I want to be... [insert your ambition]

Oli: When I grow up I want to be youthful in attitude and still open to new ideas (seems like we lose those things as we get old)

Lucie: How has lockdown affected your creative flow?

Oli: Lockdown has actually been pretty good for my creative flow. I already worked from my home studio, so no real change there. My wife also works from home so we’ve kept each other company. It was like life as normal but with fewer distractions. I actually made a whole new collection of paintings and prints during lockdown and then followed that with my first solo art show at the end of the summer. Generally speaking if my hands are busy then I’m happy enough. That said, all of the work I made this summer was about unity and connectivity and people and love, so maybe I’m missing normal life more than I realise…

Lucie: Where do you find inspiration?

Oli: There’s no single place I take inspiration from - it’s everywhere - and I think its probably important to get as much of a variety of stimulus as possible.

Lucie: How do you solve a creative block?

Oli: I have two creative block solutions, one for when you’re on a short deadline and one for when you have more time - they’re both very simple. For short deadline blocks I just keep going. If I’m working on drawing some lettering and it’s just not working or coming together I just keep drawing it over and over and over again and something always clicks eventually (even if it doesn’t feel like it will) For a creative block with no deadline - I just do something /anything else apart from the task in hand. Particularly good in the normal world (pre covid) was to just go get drunk with some friends and chat some shit. I’m always amazed how my mind keeps working away at the problem without me realising it and then the solution just occurs a day or two later (often in bed with a slightly fuzzy head the morning after) A more holistic answer would be to go for a run with no music - that also works too ;)

Lucie: What are you working on right now?

Oli: Right now I’ve just finished a few bits of client work and a private commission so I’m working through some admin and prepping some new artworks for print ahead of new brand-mark project I’m starting next week.

Lucie: Are there any mediums you haven’t worked in that you’d like to explore? If so, which?

Oli: There aren’t any other particular mediums I’m keen to work in - I try to keep lots of the parameters of my practice (including the medium) the same so I can instead focus on what happens within them and keep experimenting with form.

Lucie: What’s the weirdest collaboration or commission you’ve been asked to do? And why?

Oli: My weirdest job wasn’t so weird in concept - I was commissioned by Harvey Nichols to draw lettering all over a mannequin torso so it looked a bit like tattoos - but the production process meant that I was sent a custom, headless, mannequin torso in the post in a giant box!! (much to the amusement of the other designers in my studio) I then also spent a fun week sitting with the torso on my lap whilst I drew all over it…It came out great though - I loved seeing it in the window of Harvery Nichols in Knightsbridge once it was installed :)

Lucie: What’s the best collab or commission you’ve done? And why?

Oli: One of my favourite jobs to date was making the cover artwork for the Guardian Guide, which I actually did this summer! I used to read the Guide every Saturday when I was in my 20’s and working the dead-end job and always dreamt of getting asked to to do that job (it’s always such a well art-directed cover and has featured work from so many artists and illustrators I admire over the years) so it was a big deal for me to get to do that this year.

Lucie: What music are your listening to right now and do you listen whilst you work?

Oli: Right now I’m listening to the debut album by a band called Cloth who are from Glasgow. I went up to see them play a gig in Edinburgh back in January which was the last gig I went to before lockdown.

I always listen to music or podcasts while I work - music for the moments when I need to be thinking more creatively, and podcasts for when I’ve answered the creative questions and I’m working on a final drawing.

Lucie: What books are you reading right now?

Oli: I’m sporadic with reading - I enjoy it, but don’t always manage to find the time other than in bursts. The last thing I read was 1984 by George Orwell - I’d read it before but fancied reading it again since the parallels to modern life are increasingly hard to ignore. Next on my list is Guards! Guards! By Terry Pratchett - I read somewhere it was like a parable for what’s happening in Britain politically right now…

Lucie: Love or money? What’s the main driver behind your work?

Oli: Love over money. (I’m sure everyone says that! ) Getting to the point where I was making a living as a lettering artist was a significant milestone for me, but ultimately, working under my own autonomy and drawing for a living makes me very happy and I wouldn’t trade that for greater wealth. Anyway, I don’t think you pursue a career in the arts to be wealthy ;)

Lucie: Thank you, Oli. It’s been a pleasure interviewing you! To view more of Oli’s work take a peek at:

Website https://www.olifrape.co.uk/
Shop https://www.olifrape.co.uk/store
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/olifrape/
UK Agent https://www.instagram.com/olifrape/
US Agent https://www.instagram.com/olifrape/

Lucie Loves… People // A Little Lockdown Interview with British Lettering Artist Oli Frape [gifted print]

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