GET PUMPED
/Legendary design duo Craig and Karl are back at it again. Honestly, do these dudes ever sleep? In their characteristically vivid style, the college cronies have revived a derelict gas station in London’s White City, unleashing unrestrained color in signature shades. In a word: life support. Aptly titled, Here After, the project suggests an afterlife for the pump station. Admittedly, it’s pretty heavenly. It’s what we’d imagine unicorns dreams about at night.
“We’re both relatively cynical. Maybe our over-the-top use of color is a projection of our secret optimistic side,” Craig shares. With a distinctly recognizable Lichtenstein-esque Pop Art quality, the twosome’s work spans a range of mediums. Their playful sense of humor has been splashed across window displays, product labels, animated shorts, instillations, and even a custom-designed House of Holland ice cream truck. Yes, they’ve collaborated with the likes of Nike, Vogue, and Kiehls. But why not give a dilapidated pump station some much-needed CPR to transform it into a wacky, multi-colored canvas for the neighborhood to enjoy?
Sandwiched directly between the BBC’s former headquarters and BBC Media Village (both set to reopen this year), they cued up iconic colors and designs reminiscent of TV test cards. As the name Here After suggests, the installation breathes new life into the site, by “twisting the appearance of commonplace petrol stations and patching together the mishmash of striped forms and colors found in major fuel companies’ branding. In almost chaotic fashion, the site reinvents itself from the fragments of its past.”
Even cooler? The project is part of a regenerative scheme and the site will soon serve as a venue for pop-up events. Talk about an afterlife. Sign us up.
Photography courtesy of: Jamie McGregor Smith
“I think part of what makes our work so appealing is that it has a personality. It doesn’t take itself too seriously – kind of like a friend making a joke at your expense.”
