Ben comes from a background as a professional photographer with a degree in Photography Media & Society. He went on to share his passion for the arts with the public by working as senior administrator for Chichester’s Oxmarket Centre of Arts before co-founding Chichester Design as it is today.

Just as we bet you didn’t know that Ben shot the photography for the latest book of scenographer, director, writer, educator and curator Professor Pamela Howard OBE FRSA. Pamela, like us, is a local and has a studio in nearby Selsey. Chichester Design helps Pamela out with her website and is also involved in Pamela’s Eddi of Manhood End opera.

Being an admirer of our Ben’s work she asked him to use his photography skills for the cover of her new book: What is Scenography? (Second edition). Pamela then applied her creative vision to cut out Ben’s photos and develop an arty visual of a stage set (see image above).

The two chairs on Pamela’s book cover inspired Alan Fletcher (one of the most influential figures in British graphic design, according to the Design Museum) to design and create the famous red and blue chair image which featured in his ‘Beware Wet Paint’ book published by Phaidon.

Pamela and Alan were good friends and both taught at the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, London, which has developed a reputation for pushing the boundaries of arts, design and performance. The chairs were made especially for The Cherry Orchard, Chekhov’s last great play. This unique comedy tells of an old family estate up for auction and how, with the sale, a whole way of life comes to an end. It shows fifteen widely differentiated characters in situations that are by turn farcical, tragic and romantic. A performance of The Cherry Orchard was shown at Chichester Festival Theatre earlier this year.

This new edition of What is Scenography? is being published in the UK and USA from July this year. It takes a critical look at some of the issues raised in “What is Scenography?” (First edition) in light of Pamela’s personal and professional practice as a scenographer and director from 2001 – 2009, following several ‘case studies’, and how they relate to aspects of scenography in the book.

Much adoration for the book has already been stated including that it: “Gives an excellent sense of scenography and a window on a life in the theatre – which is fascinating. …A superb book.” – Professor Arnold Aronson, Columbia University, USA

The book also takes on an enlarged format, 40 new drawings and 40,000 new words and is being translated into Greek, Serbian and Galician. This means that not only will keen scenographers from across the seas will be able to relish in Pamela’s knowledge and expertise but Ben’s photographic images will become far flung too!

You can order What is Scenography? direct from the publisher, Routledge, or you can buy directly from Amazon.

To find out more about Chichester Design’s creative services such as photography, graphic design, web design and copywriting, contact us today.