RESEARCH
On-going research into ideas, developments and techniques in the world of science and technology, concept design, graphic and editorial design, car design, architecture, photography, information graphics as well as technical and creative illustration.
IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH
In the past, Nigel has benefitted from periodically reinventing his career and is currently working on the next phase that will take place over the next two years. This will be accompanied by rigorous and intensive research as part of the development of the new programme of expanded creative work.
RESEARCH INTO ARCHITECTURE
Throughout his working life, Nigel’s original ambition to become an architect has led to a continued interest in the work by various individuals and organisations in this area of design. These have included the architects Frank Lloyd Wright, Antoni Gaudi, Richard Rogers, Norman Foster, Renzo Piano, Cesar Pelli, Nicholas Grimshaw, Santiago Calatrava and Zaha Hadid.
Many visits to the annual Open House London architectural events have allowed him access to 30 St Mary Axe (the Gherkin), the Leadenhall Building (the Cheesegrater), Lloyds of London, Foster and Partners headquarters, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Bank of England, resulting in a further interest in the subject.
RESEARCH INTO CAR DESIGN
Nigel has been fascinated with car design ever since the unveiling of the Bertone Jaguar Pirana concept car in 1967.
It was in his final year at university that he produced a thesis on contemporary car design and as part of his research, visited car factories at Aston Martin (in Newport Pagnell), AC (in Thames Ditton), Panther (in Byfleet) and Vauxhall (in Luton).
He has also maintained an interest in the car styling and concept houses of Pininfarina and Bertone together with concept car creations by Jaguar, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin-Lagonda, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Citroen, Sbarro and the industrial designer Luigi Colani. This research has been supplemented by many past visits to motoring events, including the London Motor Shows, the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Goodwood Revival and car drag racing at Santa Pod Raceway.
RESEARCH INTO FILM MAKING, GRAPHIC DESIGN, ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY
Also included is the work by the film director Stanley Kubrick; graphic designers Saul Bass and Tom Eckersley; the film concept artist Syd Mead; artists Roger Dean, Maxfield Parrish and Claude Monet; the fashion designer Alexander McQueen; music record cover designers Hipgnosis; photographers Mario Testino, Don McCullin, David Bailey, Nick Knight and Brassai, the lighting artist Bruce Munro and the cinematic visual effects artist Douglas Trumbull.
RESEARCH THROUGH TRAVELLING
Travel has also helped to further enrich Nigel’s creativity and imagination, especially from an artistic, architectural, historical and cultural point of view. This in turn has encouraged the development of a more cosmopolitan outlook in art and design, commercial work and teaching material.
Nigel admits he feels very lucky to have had the opportunity to travel to inspirational destinations such as Turkey’s Istanbul, India’s Calcutta and Darjeeling, Egypt’s ancient tombs and temples, mainland Italy’s and Sicily’s historical sites and volcanoes, Nepal’s Himalayan mountains (including a mountain flight past Mount Everest itself), Kathmandu and other ancient cities, Morocco’s High Atlas mountains and Marrakech and Spain’s Pyrenean mountains.
Nigel would also like the opportunity to explore other parts of India together with the archaeological ruins at Teotihuacan and Monte Alban in Mexico and Palmyra in Syria, the Shah Mosque in Isfahan, Iran, the Cappadocia region in Turkey, Jordan’s Petra Temple and Wadi Rum desert and Zaha Hadid’s space age Heydar Aliyev Centre in Baku, Azerbaijan.
INTERESTS
Photography - graphic design - architecture - car design - fashion and art - museum and art gallery visits - music - films and science fiction - science and space exploration - research and current affairs - ancient history and archaeology - nature, geography and volcanology - countryside walks and worldwide travel.
IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH
In the past, Nigel has benefitted from periodically reinventing his career and is currently working on the next phase that will take place over the next two years. This will be accompanied by rigorous and intensive research as part of the development of the new programme of expanded creative work.
RESEARCH INTO ARCHITECTURE
Throughout his working life, Nigel’s original ambition to become an architect has led to a continued interest in the work by various individuals and organisations in this area of design. These have included the architects Frank Lloyd Wright, Antoni Gaudi, Richard Rogers, Norman Foster, Renzo Piano, Cesar Pelli, Nicholas Grimshaw, Santiago Calatrava and Zaha Hadid.
Many visits to the annual Open House London architectural events have allowed him access to 30 St Mary Axe (the Gherkin), the Leadenhall Building (the Cheesegrater), Lloyds of London, Foster and Partners headquarters, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Bank of England, resulting in a further interest in the subject.
RESEARCH INTO CAR DESIGN
Nigel has been fascinated with car design ever since the unveiling of the Bertone Jaguar Pirana concept car in 1967.
It was in his final year at university that he produced a thesis on contemporary car design and as part of his research, visited car factories at Aston Martin (in Newport Pagnell), AC (in Thames Ditton), Panther (in Byfleet) and Vauxhall (in Luton).
He has also maintained an interest in the car styling and concept houses of Pininfarina and Bertone together with concept car creations by Jaguar, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin-Lagonda, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Citroen, Sbarro and the industrial designer Luigi Colani. This research has been supplemented by many past visits to motoring events, including the London Motor Shows, the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Goodwood Revival and car drag racing at Santa Pod Raceway.
RESEARCH INTO FILM MAKING, GRAPHIC DESIGN, ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY
Also included is the work by the film director Stanley Kubrick; graphic designers Saul Bass and Tom Eckersley; the film concept artist Syd Mead; artists Roger Dean, Maxfield Parrish and Claude Monet; the fashion designer Alexander McQueen; music record cover designers Hipgnosis; photographers Mario Testino, Don McCullin, David Bailey, Nick Knight and Brassai, the lighting artist Bruce Munro and the cinematic visual effects artist Douglas Trumbull.
RESEARCH THROUGH TRAVELLING
Travel has also helped to further enrich Nigel’s creativity and imagination, especially from an artistic, architectural, historical and cultural point of view. This in turn has encouraged the development of a more cosmopolitan outlook in art and design, commercial work and teaching material.
Nigel admits he feels very lucky to have had the opportunity to travel to inspirational destinations such as Turkey’s Istanbul, India’s Calcutta and Darjeeling, Egypt’s ancient tombs and temples, mainland Italy’s and Sicily’s historical sites and volcanoes, Nepal’s Himalayan mountains (including a mountain flight past Mount Everest itself), Kathmandu and other ancient cities, Morocco’s High Atlas mountains and Marrakech and Spain’s Pyrenean mountains.
Nigel would also like the opportunity to explore other parts of India together with the archaeological ruins at Teotihuacan and Monte Alban in Mexico and Palmyra in Syria, the Shah Mosque in Isfahan, Iran, the Cappadocia region in Turkey, Jordan’s Petra Temple and Wadi Rum desert and Zaha Hadid’s space age Heydar Aliyev Centre in Baku, Azerbaijan.
INTERESTS
Photography - graphic design - architecture - car design - fashion and art - museum and art gallery visits - music - films and science fiction - science and space exploration - research and current affairs - ancient history and archaeology - nature, geography and volcanology - countryside walks and worldwide travel.
