Gorillaz at the South Bank Centre: A South Bank Centre Project
South Bank Centre, October 2006
This exhibition, the result of a collaboration between the South Bank Centre, Penguin Books and the Gorillaz, displays the work of Jamie Hewlett, winner of the Designer of the Year competition 2006, and features designs and images he created for the Gorillaz project.
The virtual band Gorillaz were formed in 2001 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett as a reaction to the manufactured groups of the time, and brought together an astounding array of talents and influences, blending together music, animation and media in a unique, entertaining way.
Gorillaz is comprised of the four characters, bass-player and mouthy mastermind Murdoc Niccals, hip-hop hardman drummer Russel Hobbs, Japanese girl-guitarist Noodle and spiky blue-haired singer 2D.
The Gorillaz groundbreaking attitude has seen the fantastic foursome take a staggering array of influences, musical, visual and otherwise, and rework them into a world of their own design.
This is another example of the South Bank Centre engaging with artists and the public on the outside while works are carried out behind the hoardings to refurbish the Royal Festival Hall.
The rejuvenation of the Royal Festival Hall reflects the ambitions of the South Bank Centre as a whole. Creating a place where artists work across all our spaces, a place where young and not so young explore and learn; a place where art forms cross over.
The South Bank Centre would like to thank Penguin Books and the Gorillaz team for their support in the realisation of this display.
“This exhibition really is a truly wonderful coming together between graphical imagery, art and er … well, what looks to be like some sort of temporary protective wooden coverings”
MURDOC NICALLS
bass-player and mastermind of Gorillaz
“It was important, almost unspoken; nothing in our individual lives had made any sense, nothing worked without music. Music was the key, why we formed, why we fought, why we came back together. Its our language. Everything else is secondary. Without a doubt that’s what brought us back together. Music is the King.”
RUSSEL HOBBS
drummer of Gorillaz
“Music makes more sense to me than any other religion. The fact that you can speak to people from any walk of life, around the world, simply in terms of rhythms, beats, noises and melodies, and still communicate a mutual sense of emotion… I think that’s all you need as proof of a one-ness.”
RUSSEL HOBBS
drummer of Gorillaz
“The papers are full of stories of these ego-ridden celebrity-obsessed wastrels. It's a disease of the ego; a boil on the head of humanity. These are people whose self-opinion has far outgrown their mediocre talent. All we were saying is… 'could do better'”
NOODLE
guitarist of Gorillaz
“Do you think it's possible to be eaten alive by your own alter-ego?”
2D
singer of Gorillaz
“Nothing gives me such a rush as seeing my own mouthy quotes, blown up really nice and big and then positioned in prominent places. It makes me feel, well … very important.”
MURDOC NICALLS
bassplayer of Gorillaz
The virtual band Gorillaz were formed in 2001 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett as a reaction to the manufactured groups of the time, and brought together an astounding array of talents and influences, blending together music, animation and media in a unique, entertaining way.
Gorillaz is comprised of the four characters, bass-player and mouthy mastermind Murdoc Niccals, hip-hop hardman drummer Russel Hobbs, Japanese girl-guitarist Noodle and spiky blue-haired singer 2D.
The Gorillaz groundbreaking attitude has seen the fantastic foursome take a staggering array of influences, musical, visual and otherwise, and rework them into a world of their own design.
This is another example of the South Bank Centre engaging with artists and the public on the outside while works are carried out behind the hoardings to refurbish the Royal Festival Hall.
The rejuvenation of the Royal Festival Hall reflects the ambitions of the South Bank Centre as a whole. Creating a place where artists work across all our spaces, a place where young and not so young explore and learn; a place where art forms cross over.
The South Bank Centre would like to thank Penguin Books and the Gorillaz team for their support in the realisation of this display.
“This exhibition really is a truly wonderful coming together between graphical imagery, art and er … well, what looks to be like some sort of temporary protective wooden coverings”
MURDOC NICALLS
bass-player and mastermind of Gorillaz
“It was important, almost unspoken; nothing in our individual lives had made any sense, nothing worked without music. Music was the key, why we formed, why we fought, why we came back together. Its our language. Everything else is secondary. Without a doubt that’s what brought us back together. Music is the King.”
RUSSEL HOBBS
drummer of Gorillaz
“Music makes more sense to me than any other religion. The fact that you can speak to people from any walk of life, around the world, simply in terms of rhythms, beats, noises and melodies, and still communicate a mutual sense of emotion… I think that’s all you need as proof of a one-ness.”
RUSSEL HOBBS
drummer of Gorillaz
“The papers are full of stories of these ego-ridden celebrity-obsessed wastrels. It's a disease of the ego; a boil on the head of humanity. These are people whose self-opinion has far outgrown their mediocre talent. All we were saying is… 'could do better'”
NOODLE
guitarist of Gorillaz
“Do you think it's possible to be eaten alive by your own alter-ego?”
2D
singer of Gorillaz
“Nothing gives me such a rush as seeing my own mouthy quotes, blown up really nice and big and then positioned in prominent places. It makes me feel, well … very important.”
MURDOC NICALLS
bassplayer of Gorillaz