Interview with Greg Foley of Visionaire, pt. 2

Greg Foley

In an industry known for its oversized egos and endless self-promotion, Greg Foley has gone about his business, quietly becoming one of the more prolific creative minds of his generation. From children’s books to chess sets, Greg fearlessly goes wherever his interests lead him. We’ve known Greg socially and professionally for over a decade, and in that time have witnessed the emergence of his formidable talent.

Base: Who are your design heroes?
GF: As a child, it was biggies like Leonardo da Vinci and Thomas Jefferson. As a teenager it might have been Neville Brody, Peter Saville, or even illustrator Patrick Nagel. Then along came everyone in-between.

B: Who are your favorite photographers? Architects? Artists?
GF: Without going into a who’s who list, it’s fun to identify why some people’s work becomes iconic and others’ less so. Extreme vs. moderate. Original vs. redux.

B: What music are you listening to at present?
GF: Bad Brains “I Against I”, M83 “Saturdays=Youth”, Final Fantasy “He Poos Clouds”, Nas’s “N*****”, and Nick Cave’s “Dig, Lazarus, Dig!”

V magazine covers

B: Somehow in all that spare time you have, you’ve managed to write a children’s book, Thank You Bear, that is sweet and perfect in its simplicity. What got you interested in children’s books?
GF: Like many kids, I liked drawing interesting-looking characters. But I didn’t consider writing until I understood that no matter how good a character looks, it’s only as memorable as what it does. So eventually I participated in some children’s writing workshops. That really opened the door…

Foley’s Thank You Bear and Don’t Worry Bear

B: I’ve known people to say, “A 32-page children’s book?! I could do that!” Is it that easy? What’s the process like?
GF: People also say, “It’s nearly impossible to get a children’s book published.” So the truth must lie somewhere in-between.

B: What’s up next on the kids front?
GF: This fall, the first Thank You Bear products will be released in Japan—several plush bears, shirts, bags, and possibly a very cute “bear bank”. In January 2009 Harper Collins will release Willoughby & the Lion (Bowen Press). It’s the first book in a new series. Then in spring ‘09 the third bear book, Good Luck Bear (Viking) comes out. Mainstream publishers work so far in advance, I’m finishing books that won’t be out until 2010.

Willoughby & the Lion — cover

B: Do you have any other projects on the horizon that we should know about?
GF: They’re far out on the horizon, but some trax and a graphic novel are on the way.

B: Another one-off project you designed was the “Heartbreaker” chess set. Why a chess set?
GF: That project was part of a MoMA design show called Workspheres, curated by Paola Antonelli. Donald Hearn and I had wanted to update the classic meanings of chess pieces from heraldic to contemporary issues. For example, the king became a supercomputer or data chunk and the bishop became a strand of dna. The queens were tsunami waves, and the two facing rows of pawns became housing projects vs. rain forest (you have to break open the city and forest to begin play). For the chess board, we wanted to disrupt the grid–like tectonic forces beneath the ocean so we invited architect Greg Lynn to participate. He gave the board both top and bottom surfaces. Deitch Projects helped produce the first sets (black, white, and clear versions), and they’ve traveled to other design museums, like the MAK in Vienna and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

“Heartbreaker” chess set — board

“Heartbreaker” chess set — pieces

B: You have an amazing, stripped-down silver bike that you ride around town. What exactly is that minimal beauty?
GF: Just an aluminium Bianchi street bike with reduced parts. The early edition of the frame has a smoother curve than the ones after.

V magazine titles

Visionaire 43, Scent

Visionaire 47, Taste

B: If you could design (or redesign) any product, what would it be and why?
GF: How about Michael Jackson—doesn’t he count as product? Given his back story, it would be a fantastic challenge.

Album covers for VHS or Beta, designed by Foley

B: For as long as I’ve known you, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you with hair on your head? Might there be some in your future?
GF: Perhaps when I’m 50 the “wild professor” look will creep out. Until then, it’s the bother of shaving every four or five days.

B: Outside of hair, what else might your future hold?
GF: Hopefully 60+ years of love and surprises…

Read pt. 1 of this interview here.