Alan Kitching (typographic artist)

Born 1940 in Darlington, county Durham,^[1][2][3] Kitching began his career aged 15 as an apprentice compositor at a local jobbing printer J. W. Brown & Son (1956–62)^[4][5][6] where he learned to set type for catalogues, tickets and posters.^[7] From 1962 to 1964 he was a technician in hand and line type composition at the Department of Printing, Watford College of Technology in Herts.^[8] After meeting designer Anthony Froshaug,^[3] the new head of department, Kitching co-established the experimental printing workshop at Watford College of Technology.^[9] He later continued to collaborate with Froshaug on student projects at the Central School of Art & Design. He left Watford in 1970 and moved to London.^[10]

In 1973 Kitching began his own design practice in London with Pentagram co-founder Colin Forbes. In 1977 he partnered with Derek Birdsall and Martin Lee at Omnific Studios.^[1] He began letterpress workshops in 1986 at Omnific's office in Islington, London, and in the late 1980s, at the Royal College of Art.^[1] He left Omnific in 1988^[5] and went on to establish The Typography Workshop in Clerkenwell in 1989.^[6][2]

From 1994 Kitching worked in partnership with designer and teacher Celia Stothard FRSA, who later became his wife.^[3] In 1999, in partnership with Stothard, Kitching purchased a large collection of theatrical wood types, now named 'Entertaining Types' and housed in Kennington, Lambeth, South London.^[11]

Kitching created posters for the National Theatre,^[12][13] The British Library,^[12] The Guardian^[1] and Royal Mail.^[12] His work is renowned due to his expressive use of analog typography,^[14][13] particularly large-scale wood and metal type,^[8] and vibrant colours.^[6][7] Kitching produces many of his artworks as limited-edition prints using letterpress technology.^[13][15]

• 
  Kiss - Graphic Poetry
• 
  Poster for National Theatre Transformation series.
• 
  Iraq war demo poster for The Guardian
• 
  Guardian graphic
• 
  Guardian graphic
• 
  'Spirited' for The Guardian
• 
  'Boldly' for The Guardian
• 
  Glory to the New Born King
• 
  'The Big Top' - The Wrington Suite
• 
  Burning books
• 
  Magna Carta
• 
  Stellar
• 
  Kew Gardens
• 
  A thing of beauty
• 
  Anti Brexit Poster
• 
  Braque Letterpress
• 
  Shipping Forecast
• 
  Crimson Clover
• 
  Time for Port
• 
  Kennington, London, Map
• 
  Design is hope
• 
  Merry Go round

• 1967–70: Part-Time lecturer in Typography, School of Art, Watford College of Technology, Herts.
• 1968–72: Visiting lecturer in Graphic Design, Central School of Art & Design, London.
• 1973: Visiting lecturer, London College of Printing.
• 1974–75: Visiting lecturer, Goldsmiths College, University of London.
• 1988: Visiting lecturer in Graphic Design, Royal College of Art
• 1990–2000: University of Brighton, School of Graphic Design, visiting lecturer.
• 1991–2006: Typography Workshops at Royal College of Art
• 1994: Colchester Institute, School of Art, visiting lecturer.
• 1993–1995: Glasgow School of Art, visiting lecturer.

• Designers and Art Directors Association (D and AD)
• 1999: Fellow of Chartered Society of Designers
• 1999: Member of Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI)
• 1994: Royal Designer for Industry (RDI)
• 1996: Member of the Designers and Art Directors Association (D&AD) 1997: Fellow of Royal Society of Arts
• 1998: Fellow of the Royal College of Art
• 2001: Visiting Professor The London Institute (now University of the Arts London)

• 1999: Stamps for Royal Mail: Magna Carta Millennium series
• 2000: Dazed & Confused Magazine – Typographic artwork for magazine cover
• 2000: D&AD – Typographic artwork for Invitation
• 2002: Poems on the buses for Transport for London
• 2002: Posters for the National Theatre's Transformation season of plays
• 2002: Stamps for the Royal Mail: Love Occasion series
• 2001/2003: Typographic artwork for The Guardian Newspaper^[16]
• 2003: Typographic artworks for VSO poster campaign 'We need professionals'
• 2002: National Theatre – Typographic artwork for ‘On Love’ by Alan Bennett – London, UK
• 2003: Typographic mural for The Guardian Newspaper building reception
• 2005: The Guardian – Typographic artwork for alternative Front Page
• 2009: ONE Africa – Typographic artwork for poster
• 2011: Clarks Shoes – Typographic artwork for wall display – London, UK
• 2012: FT Weekend Magazine – Typographic artwork for magazine cover
• 2012: San Miguel – Typographic artwork for mural wall – Spain
• 2014:  Southbank – Typographic artwork for mural wall – London, UK
• 2016: A Life in Letterpress: Alan Kitching — Book published ^[17]
• 2017: Glenlivet – Typographic artwork for packaging design
• 2017: National Union of Journalists – Typographic artwork for wall mural
• 2017: Comme des Garcons – Typographic artwork for apparel design
• 2018: Brexit – Typographic artwork for protest posters & merchandise
• 2018: Cleaver Square – Typographic artwork for signage
• 2018: FX – Typographic artwork for magazine cover
• 2018: Bridge Theatre – Typographic artwork for ‘Allelujah!’ production – London, UK
• 2018: Alan Kitching's A-Z London – Box Set^[18]
• 2018: Globe Theatre – Typographic artwork for ‘Emilia’ production – London, UK
• 2018: Tipoteca – Typographic artwork for museum – Cornuda, Italy
• 2019: British Airways – Typographic artwork for 100th anniversary
• 2019: English Heritage – Typographic artwork for Corporate Identity for 2019
• 2019: Kia & Sunday Times – Typographic artwork for advertorial
• 2020: Folio Society — ‘ The Stories of English’ — Typographic artwork for book cover design
• 2020: FORA – Typographic artwork for Berners St Map
• 2020: Hall for Cornwall – Typographic artwork for triptych – Truro, UK
• 2020: Get Impressed – Typographic artwork for book cover design
• 2021: The Poster: A Visual History: ‘Taxi’ typographic artwork featured in book, V and A.^[19]
• 2022: Berry Bros & Rudd Wine – Typographic artwork for spread in No. 3 catalogue
• 2022: Woman Life Freedom – Typographic artwork for campaign poster
• 2022: POMPE charity – Typographic artwork for online assets
• 2022: The Art File – Typographic artwork for greeting card collections
• 2023: PORT Magazine – Typographic artwork for editorial spread
• 2023: Collins Agency – Limited Edition Print for 15-year anniversary
• 2024: AGI Congress – Letterpress Workshop & Lecture at The Poster Archive – Basel, Switzerland
• 2024: Chemistry World – Antiaromaticity – Typographic artwork for magazine
• 2024: Johns Hopkins Magazine – Breaking Barriers – Typographic artwork
• 2024: Mary Quant Wall Mural – Typographic artwork – London, UK^[20][21]
• 2024: Ferrari – Typographic Artwork Print – Limited Edition of 10

• 1992: Gallery at Pentagram, SOLO SHOW
• 1993: Royal College of Art, SOLO SHOW
• 1994: Crafts Council 'True to Type', 5 works, catalogue, ISBN 1870145 35 6
• 1994: D&AD "Festival of Excellence', 4 works
• 1994: Paperpoint shop, several works
• 1996: '20 Designers for a Silhouette', Centre Pompidou, Paris
• 1996: Royal Mail Stamps, London
• 1997: 'British Graphic Design', Cologne, Germany
• 1997: The Gallery at Pentagram, London
• 1998: Coningsby Gallery SOLO SHOW
• 1998: The British Pavilion, 'Information expertise @ UK'; The Library and Information Commission, Amsterdam
• 1999: 'A K TypeArt 98', The Coningsby Gallery, London, one man show
• 1999: The Coningsby Gallery — 'A K TypeArt 98', Solo Exhibition – London, UK
• 2000: 'Powerhouse', UK
• 2001: Gallery at Pentagram, 'In Darkest England'
• 2002: Gallery at Pentagram, London, one man show
• 2004: Public Address System, London and Berlin
• 2004: Pax Britannica, London Advanced Graphics London
• 2016: Somerset House
• 2016: The Lighthouse, Glasgow
• 2017: Manning Tree – Solo Exhibition – London, UK
• 2018: London Craft Week – Open Studio – London, UK
• 2019: Chelsea Arts Club – Solo Exhibition – London, UK
• 2019: Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft – Solo Exhibition – Ditchling, UK
• 2021: Coningsby Gallery – Solo Exhibition – London, UK
• 2022: AGI Congress – Typographic poster – Group Exhibition— Trieste, Italy
• 2023: AGI Congress – Typographic poster – Group Exhibition – Auckland, New Zealand
• 2024: AGI Congress – Typographic poster – Group Exhibition —Basel, Switzerland
• 2024: Chelsea Arts Club – A-Z London – Solo Exhibition – London, UK
• 2024: The Coningsby Gallery – Two Printers, Duo Exhibition —  London, UK

• 1994: icograda, London
• 1995: icograda, Lisbon
• 1995: AGI (Alliance Graphique Internationale), Amalfi, Italy
• 1997: AGI (Alliance Graphique Internationale), Barcelona, Spain
• 1998: A Typ.1, Lyon, France
• 2002: University of NSW Sydney & AGI Ideas Melbourne Australia
• 2002: AGI (Alliance Graphique Internationale), Zurich/Pontresina, Switzerland
• 2003: Typo3 Johannesburg SA
• 2004: London College of Communication 23/6/04
• 2004: Forum Laus, Barcelona May 2004
• 2005: AGI (Alliance Graphique Internationale), Berlin

• 1966: 'Frontiers of Printmaking', Michael Rothenstein, Library of Congress 66-24551^[22]
• 1999–2000: Hereford – College of Art
• 1974 Printed in Watford, Watford School of Art, Herts.
• 1993: The Sixties, David Mellor^[23]
• 1994: D&AD Annual
• 1995: D&AD Annual
• 1996 D&AD Annual
• 1996: 'G1 subj: contemp, design, graphic,^[24]
• 1996: 'A Double Life of 80 AGI designers .....' Armando Milani/Burgo
• 1997 'First Choice', Ken Cato, ISBN^[25]
• 1999: Royal Mail Millennium Stamps
• 1999: New Design: London, The Edge of Graphic Design, Ed. E.M.Gomez, Rockport, USA, ISBN 1-56496-562-7 D&AD Annual
• 2000: Rotterdam - Willem de Kooning Academie
• 2000: Anthony Froshaug: Typography & Texts (2 vols), Robin Kinross ISBN 0-907259-13-8
• 2001: Master of the 20th Century, Ed. Mervyn Kurlansky/Icograda, Graphis, New York ISBN 1-888001-85-2
• 2002: Helvetica – Homage to a Typeface, Lars Müller, Switzerland ISBN 3-907044-87-8
• 2002: Copenhagen – I T University
• 2002: The Graphics Book, D&AD, Rotovision, ISBN 2-88046-550-8
• 2003: Creative Island, John Sorrell, Lawrence King, ISBN 1-85669-305-8
• 2003: The Thames & Hudson Dictionary of Graphic Design and Designers^[26]
• 2004: D&AD Workout
• 2004: University of Delaware
• 2015: Workshop, Tipoteca, Italy Books on Alan Kitching or featuring work
• 2015: Tipoteca – Legacy of Letter Tour & Workshop – Cornuda, Italy
• 2015: A-Z in Letterpress, Laurence King, London, ISBN 9781780674810
• 2016: A Life in Letterpress, Laurence King, London^[27][28]
• 2016: Hay Festival – Guest Lecturer & Book Signing – Wales, UK
• 2017: Letter Exchange – Guest Lecturer – London, UK
• 2018: Woolwich Art Fair – Letterpress Workshop & Lecturer  — London, UK
• 2019: TIPO – Guest Lecturer – Azores, Portugal
• 2019: Lettering Arts Trust – Letterpress Workshop – London, UK
• 2019: The Typography Workshop – Letterpress Workshop – London, UK
• 2020: Residency Art Centre USA – Letterpress Workshop – California, USA
• 2020: Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft – Visiting Lecturer – Ditchling, UK
• 2021: ESAD, Superior School of Arts and Design – Letterpress Workshop – Porto, Portugal
• 2022: Falmouth University – Visiting Lecturer – Falmouth, UK
• 2022: Hall for Cornwall – Talk/Q&A – Cornwall, UK
• 2023: Collins Agency – Online Talk/Q&A – Remote
• 2024: AGI Congress — Letterpress Workshop & Lecture at The Poster Archive – Basel, Switzerland

1970: 'Typography Manual', School of Art, Watford College of Technology

2016. 'A life in Letterpress, Laurence King, London.