MODE by Brian Griffin

We partnered with Sheffield-based design studio The Cafeteria and renowned UK photographer Brian Griffin to produce MODE, a photography book printed by Pressision showcasing unseen images of the iconic band Depeche Mode and their Album covers shot by Griffin himself in the 1980s.

Printed on Fedrigoni’s Arena Ivory Bulk and Symbol Tatami White, MODE provides an intimate, unseen glimpse into the early years of the iconic British band. The uncoated Arena Bulk lends a warm, tactile quality to the text, providing the canvas for Griffin’s words and a journal extract from Roger Burton who worked as costume designer for Depeche’s video of Only When Lose Myself in 1998. With a high bulk and matte finish, Symbol Tatami ensures the images are displayed with exceptional clarity and definition, helping create a synergy between touch and sight.

The idea of publishing unseen pictures of Depeche Mode came from a conversation Griffin had with friend and music producer Vaughn George who helped launch the highly successful kickstarter campaign to raise funds to publish the book. The conversation sparked Griffin to reflect on his works, which can be found in the interview with artist Simon Helm introducing the book.

Brian Griffin stated: “Having worked with bulky papers before, I knew I wanted the same feeling for MODE. The book is designed to be a historical document from the ‘80s, so my vision was for it to embody the era through the design. I’ve worked with Catherine Carley and The Cafeteria team before, and so I knew they could provide the same level of attention to detail when it came to creating MODE.”

Catherine Carley, Managing Director at The Cafeteria summarises: “Cafeteria has long been aware of the Fedrigoni range and Symbol Tatami, in particular it always felt like a classic Fedrigoni product. We had shown Brian Symbol Tatami samples previously and it made an impact on him so it was always in the mix when finalising papers for MODE. Texture and contrast were very important in our decision making. The overall book needed to feel inviting and special, from solid black cloth-bound cover turning into metallic end-pages leading into the softer inners full of rich content. The contrast in colour and texture as you switch from Arena Bulk to Symbol Tatami helps define the content and adds another layer for the senses to enjoy. Getting the right combination and balance between the text pages on Arena Bulk and the image pages on Symbol Tatami was essential to creating the right aesthetic for the book.”