Darrel Ellis

Polymode designed the first monograph on the work of Darrel Ellis in collaboration with Visual AIDS. New York–based mixed-media artist Darrel Ellis (1958–92) was on the cusp of major recognition when his life was cut short by AIDS in 1992, at the age of 33. The publication harnesses the use of  type and color to set a distinction of both time, process, and identity. Our use of the Escalator typeface is a nod to the iconic New York of the 1970s and 80s, while the use of developer ‘brown’ as a spot color highlights and draws attention to different focal points and background floods establish sectional space identity.
The monograph provides the most comprehensive account of the artist to date, including 80 plates that chart his development from figurative painting to photographic experimentation, and his later preoccupation with self-portraiture. A richly illustrated chronology, featuring never before seen excerpts from the artist’s journals, and an examination of Ellis’s unique photographic process provide new insights into Ellis’s life and artwork.

Lead Partner – Brian Johnson
Supporting Partner – Silas Munro
Designer – Michelle Lamb