Clare Galloway and Eric Swanepoel display the Synchrony Books logo, designed by Clare, and copies of Disruptive, the cover of which was designed by Vroni Holzmann. Picture taken in front of Clares stall in the Out of the Blue Drill Hall Art Market on 12 December 2009 by a kind stranger.
This painting by Clare Galloway (her copyright) was the starting point of the Synchrony Books logo
The starting point for the Synchrony Books logo was a painting by Clare Galloway (previously of http://www.claregalloway.co.uk, now of arthouseguardia.com) called “Partnership; Quiet Moment”. Eric Swanepoel liked it so much he bought it and later commissioned Clare to design a logo based on it.
Clare works intuitively, and has not given a detailed explanation of her design, but Eric comments, “To say I was delighted when Clare showed me her work would be an understatement. The deceptively simple and unforced image embodies the ideals I would like Synchrony Books’ publications to manifest.
The couple element of the Synchrony Books logo, copyright Clare Galloway.
“The gender of the figures in the logo is slightly ambiguous, which allows readers to interpret them in their own way, but if one assumes that there is a male figure on the left (as one looks at it) and a female figure on the right, then one could see the image as symbolising the male sharing the left side of his brain (thought to be primarily concerned with logical, sequential, rational, analytical and objective tasks, and with looking at parts rather than wholes) and the female sharing the right of hers (concerned with random, intuitive, holistic, synthesizing, and subjective functions, and tending to look at wholes rather than parts). Thus, for me, this picture speaks of the need for both sets of attributes – for balance. If one cannot find this balance within oneself, then perhaps one can find it from complementary relationships, or from reading books that happen to supply the faculties one is lacking!
“Notice too that the figures that make up the couple, while clearly very close, are not obsessively looking into each other’s eyes. They are side by side, facing the world as a team, confident of their partnership. (This, I think, is the sort of relationship that Kahlil Gibran was recommending in The Prophet.) I hope that the Synchrony Books ‘team’ will epitomise this harmonious blend of talents and abilities too.
The leaf-hands element of the Synchrony Books logo, to be used on the spines of publications, copyright Clare Galloway for all other use.
“Another prominent element (and the one which will be used on its own on the spine of Synchrony Books’ publications) is the leaf-hands-book symbol. This, to me, could represent helping hands reaching out, it could represent practical action, and it could also represent harmony and balance – as the hands are practically mirror images of each other. I would like to think that they also symbolise creativity and, in their resemblance to a leaf, the importance of the natural world for physical, mental and, dare I say, spiritual wellbeing. …Perhaps also the fact that we should all try to grow plants, whether it’s only a few herbs in a window box or the reforestation of Tamil Nadu, fittingly called Project Greenhands! I would like Synchrony Books to publish titles concerned with all of these themes.
“Of course the fact that a book’s pages can be referred to as ‘leaves’ is also relevant to a punster like myself, but I think the leaf-hands-book image primarily represents a book of many leaves, and it is one which the figures are reading together, so this book could be seen to be bringing people closer; it is perhaps bridging a gap of understanding.”
“In conclusion, I find Clare’s brilliantly simple but actually complex design beautiful, inspiring and distinctive. Synchrony Books is well on its way!”
Full Synchrony Books logo, designed by Clare Galloway.
Edinburgh
11 September 2009
An afterthought of Eric’s: “Reading the above, it’s a perfect illustration of the ‘male’ left brain contrasting with the ‘female’ right brain. Clare produced an integrated work of art, one which produces (for me, anyway) a rush of feelings. Then I set about breaking it down into its components and analysing them!”
