The Jam - About the Young Idea - Exhibition at Somerset House, London
June to Sept 2015.
A major exhibition showcasing the work and impact of this hugely influential band during the late 70's and early 80's. A massive collection of memorabilia, archive footage and instruments documented the significance and prolific rise of The Jam from their beginnings as teenagers in Woking, to the height of their fame internationally, and eventually their shock split in 1982.
We worked closely with the team of Curators which included family members of the band and dedicated fans to develop a narrative and strategy for the display of a huge variety of fragile and valuable exhibits. Our approach employed paper and card as the principal materials for the installation in contrast to the ornate gallery walls and in keeping with the strong presence of graphics by Anthony Burrill.
We design leaning panels of varying sizes and depths that were covered with different coloured pasted paper to provide a backdrop to the exhibits, and placed them around the gallery spaces over alcoves, doors and windows of the classical interior of the galleries.
Photos - Jim Stephenson
In Summer 2015, Somerset House, in collaboration with Nice Time Inc Productions, presented The Jam: About the Young Idea. With unprecedented access to The Jam’s archive, Somerset House curated the first comprehensive exhibition about the extraordinary band whose music immortalised life for Britain’s disenchanted youth during the late 70s and early 80s. Through unseen material and fan memorabilia, the exhibition charts the trio’s journey from Sheerwater Secondary Modern in Woking to superstardom, kick-started by the release of their debut hit single ‘In The City’, whose lyrics are referenced in the exhibition’s title, and ended six years later with 18 consecutive UK top 40 singles and over 14 million global album sales. Graphic for the exhibition were created by Anthony Burrill and Teo Connor and the exhibition design was by Simon Jones Studio studio. This video was commissioned by Burrill and Jones.
