Design Week Magazine - Jan 1997
Rising by Degrees - Liz Farrelly

A year out between BA and MA provided Lawrence Zeegen with a 'whole heap of clients' before he hit the RCA. 'So I knew that when I graduated I didn't want to do what every other illustrator does, and end up working in my bedroom or garden shed at home'. Before the dreaded day, and with the aim of providing mutual support, the idea of Big Orange was hatched between a group of like-minded graduates. 'We simply uprooted part of the department and moved it to a studio in EC2, to deaden the blow of leaving college. Then we put together a collective portfolio and sent out joint publicity.'

Working part-time as a graphic designer at Lamb and Shirley and teaching at Camberwell School of Arts, Zeegen was busy. 'I came out of college with preconceptions about how a career would map out. I thought I'd be an illustrator for life. But when you've done one book jacket or poster, you've got to do more and the pressure on a freelancer to invoice every month is pretty daunting'.

Looking to reduce his dependence on commissions, and building on Big Orange's informal structure of cooperation, Zeegen moved onto setting up Heart in 1994. Together with fellow illustrator Darrel Rees he represents a select peer group. In an industry which trades on 'signature styles', Heart is unusual. Having seen the industry stifled by safe commissioning, Zeegen and Rees encourage their illustrators to experiment using new technology, especially computers and photography. Their aim is to reeducate a generation of art directors who 'think illustration is a filthy word'.

While all this was going on, Zeegen was running the part-time graphic design course at Camberwell College of Art, and after a stint as acting head, became course director of graphic design at the start of the last academic year. With his knowledge of industry attitudes, Zeegen intends to steer the Camberwell course towards the cutting edge. 'The boundaries between graphics and illustration are blurring, and illustration is splitting two ways, either towards design work and on to the Mac, or towards painting for exhibition'.

With studio visits and guest speakers drawn from across the visual arts, and live projects set by outside organisations, Zeegen's students 'are served up with a slice of reality'. Being made aware of the various possibilities means students won't be graduating with unrealistic job expectations, or subsequently despair if they're forced to compromise. With the course gaining a reputation, by winning competitions and sending a high percentage of students to the RCA, job offers and commissions are rolling in.

For Zeegen it's a project. 'After five years I'll do something else. I won't stay in education until I retire. But for the first time in my life I've got a salary,' he says. And with Rees and his wife Lesley running Heart Zeegen is keeping his options open.

Liz Farrelly
Design Week 31 January 1997

Since this article was published, Zeegen has handed over Heart to partner Darrel Rees to concentrate on his illustration work and the role of Academic Programme Leader for BA (Hons) Graphic Design and BA (Hons) Illustration at The University of Brighton.

© www.zeegen.com