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Anthony Burrill Anthony Burrill's work is beautifully simple and often humorous. Campaigns for London Underground, Diesel and Hans Brinker's budget hotel along with shows at Tate modern and the Barbican help emphasize the pedigree of his work. Working with friend Kip Parker, their Friendchip project has designed web sites for the likes of Air, David Holmes and Kraftwerk. To find out Anthony's philosophies on photocopying, art/design, making acid (music) and farming read on
 Pixelsurgeon: Please tell me about Friendchip
Anthony Burrill: Friendchip was established by accident a long time ago, it is a partnership between myself and Kip Parker. Kip is a programmer and was the first person I knew who was connected to the internet. We thought it would be fun to make a website. We didn't have a scanner, so we had to draw everything on a very basic old PC. Our first site was called "Get Jet Set" it featured low resolution looping animations, with annoying beeping sounds. a bit like ceefax crossed with binatone, but funnier.
There is an incredible selection of music sites produced by you guys. David Holmes, Air, Kraftwerk etc. Are the projects you work on based on the type of music you are into?
Most of the work we get through Friendchip is because people have seen our previous work and like it. So far it's worked well, I think we appeal to like minded people. It's been amazing working with musicians whose work I love.
Last time I met you you were gigging on your Apple laptop in a pub in central London. If I remember correctly the right honorable Dr Alex Paterson (The Orb) warmed the crowd up for you. Is this just for fun or do you see a music career taking off?
It was just for fun! My friend Malcolm introduced me to ReBirth (acid house software for your laptop) and it changed my life! I've always been a frustrated musician, but now that computers can help you make music, it's fantastic!
 Your work seems incredibly simple, yet everything appears in a perfect form or position. Does your work take long to produce?
The personal work takes a while. I tend to mull things over for a while before I commit anything to paper, I think about a picture for a couple of weeks and let the ideas roll around in the back of my head, then it all pops up fully formed and I get to work on the computer. The commercial work usually has a shorter deadline and the idea has been worked on by somebody else for a while, so that takes less time. but I do enjoy working quickly
Do you have certain rules or principles that you apply to your work?
Keep it simple!
Humour seems important too! Do you think this is an important communication tool?
Yes, definitely, I use humour constantly to communicate in everyday life. Once you've got somebody smiling the rest is easy.
 The Hans Brinker Hotel poster campaign looked like good fun, how did that come about?
I met Erik Kessels in an ad agency in London and I gave him some of my photocopy books. After he'd gone back to Amsterdam and set up KesselsKramer he asked me to work on a set of posters for the hotel. The idea of the campaign was to make a virtue out of the limited appeal of the hotel, FREE DOOR WITH EVERY ROOM, etc. I made all the artwork using the photocopier in the corner shop (5p a COPY). The designs were suitably basic.
So you are happy to not use a computer to produce a job?
Yeah, sure. It's a very old cliché, but a computer is just one of the tools that you can use to make work. I've just been working on a letterpress poster with a small local printers, no computers have been involved at any stage, and it makes a nice change. In saying that, though, I wouldn't be without my computer now; it does make working and communicating with everybody so much easier.
It seems to me that the distinction between art and graphic design is becoming incredibly blurred, what are your thoughts on this?
Everything is becoming blurred: music, art, architecture, farming! I think it's just the way things are now. People are into lots of different stuff and like to explore new things. I think the internet has got a lot to do with it!
 Do you have plans of where you would like to move your work in the future?
To continue producing work I'm happy with and collaborating with interesting people. And playing the pyramid stage at Glastonbury!
What do you think is the secret to your success?
Working hard and being nice to people.
What advice would you give to someone starting their career as a freelance designer/artist/musician/farmer?
Be true to yourself and the rest will happen naturally. Be enthusiastic and keen. Plough a straight furrow!
A selection of Anthony Burrill's limited edition prints are available to buy at Day14.com
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