We’re excited to be working with renown Photographer Brian Griffin on his autobiography Black Country Dada 1969–1990.

2020 has been a year of surprises — not many of them welcome but when renown British photographer Brian Griffin calls up and invites you to work on his autobiography, that’s some good news worth shouting about.

His new Kickstarter campaign for ‘Black Country Dada 1969–1990’ launching at the end of September will fund the production of a 200+ page hardback designed by Cafeteria and feature two decades worth of tall tales and fascinating photographs.

From his early years as a Black Country lad studying photography at Manchester Polytechnic, to seeing his work make the cover of Life Magazine ‘World’s Best Photographers’ issue and being lauded as Photographer of the Decade by The Guardian in 1989, Brian’s pictures tell of an incredible journey full of mad ideas somehow made real inside his camera.

Brian Griffin, Moscow, 1974

'A Broken Frame', Depeche Mode Album Cover, 1982

Cafeteria are incredibly excited to work with Brian — we previously designed his exhibition catalogue for ‘Still Waters’, part of the Format Festival at Derby Museum & Art Gallery. An intriguing project that inspired an unusual response … photographs printed inside a French fold only viewable by peering in or tearing open the page. Brian likes to play and so do we.

Brian wrote his book during the spring Covid lockdown — a period of reflection and perspective for many of us. And now, he’s about to launch the funding campaign with what feels like Covid 19 as a permanent fixture.

Dr. Helmut Stein, Development Manager of Automobile Radios

Traffic Island, Wandsworth, London

There’s already so much good will and energy with this project, we want all our friends and followers to join in, support the campaign and amplify the message.

We’ll be helping him promote the Kickstarter with attention grabbing graphics for social media based on our proposed designs for the book cover.

We’re already thinking of all the fabulous paper stocks we could use, engaging and beautifully typeset spreads and the wealth of photographs we’ll have to bring the autobiography to life.

We hope you can support our joint Kickstarter campaign to create this magnificent book.

See examples of our editorial projects and published books here.


All photographs ©Brian Griffin

Martin Cropper, Elsynge Road, London

'Look Sharp!', Joe Jackson Album Cover, 1979