Private View | Esc Keys by Susan Kare and Alastair Walker | 8 Oct
Asprey Studio launches Esc Keys by Susan Kare and Alastair Walker, a landmark exhibition during London Frieze Week 2024, with an exclusive private view on Tuesday 8 October from 6:30-9 PM.
Entrance via: Asprey, 34-36 Bruton St, London W1J 6QX
Doors open 6:30 PM
Panel talk starts 7:00 PM
Event ends 9:00 PM
The collection consists of new digital and physical pieces by Susan Kare, the iconic graphic designer whose pioneering pixel art defined the visual language of the original Apple Macintosh in the early 1980s.
Teaming up with Asprey Studio’s Chief Creative Officer, Alastair Walker, the unique release takes a new twist on the iconic designs whilst celebrating one of the world’s most influential women in technology.
Susan Kare (b. 1954) revolutionised computer usage during her work at Apple, where she designed the core visual elements of the original Macintosh, which debuted in 1984. As the designer of the original Macintosh icons, typefaces, and user interface graphics, her digital images became instantly recognisable symbols that continue to be revered today. Her background in graphics and sculpture and not direct experience of software design turned out to be an asset, allowing her to empathise with non-technical users of the new computer. Her contributions include many of the typefaces and symbols - such as the pixel icon "happy Macintosh" that greeted users on startup and the intuitive "floppy disk" for saving files - transformed the text-heavy appearance of computers into friendly, human experiences.
The title Esc Keys draws inspiration from both the ‘esc’ key on a computer keyboard and the broader concept of ‘escapism.’
The collection invites viewers to ‘escape’ into a space where technology becomes a means to explore the precious aspects of life reminding us of the humanity that lies beyond the digital.
Kare’s work is in the collections of the MoMA in New York and San Francisco and has been exhibited at a number of international institutions, such as in the recent show, Never Alone: Video Games and Other Interactive Design (2023) at NY MoMA, at the Smithsonian Institution (2018), and at the London Design Museum (2017).
The show is a collaboration with Alastair Walker, founder of Asprey Studio, as well as painter, designer, and sculptor, primarily working in digital media. This exhibition - which includes a selection of digital and physical works by other digital artists and a new prototype of the Asprey Bugatti Egg - represents Asprey Studio’s specialisation in exploring the intersection of digital and physical mediums and its mission to push the boundaries of contemporary art through state-of-the-art technological innovations.