Meet the Artist: Jonny Lancaster – Ideas on a Poster

Darlington based graphic designer Jonny Lancaster is the talented mastermind and founder of the spectacular ‘The Poster Parlour’. Jonny takes inspiration from the mid 20^th century travel posters and collaborates them with his own ideas to create North East themed posters and prints with a fresh contemporary twist. The Poster Parlour's prints each capture the everyday beauty we find right here in the North East, with depictions of locations and infamous Geordie sayings and phrases.

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The North East is an area of vast contrast, from bustling cosmopolitan cities, to quiet shell-strewn coves, enclosed forests and castles, to industrial steelworks and docks, it’s difficult to ever tire of its beauty. Aside from the regions stunning landscapes, it is the people of the North East that truly make it such a special place, something that Jonny honours in his designs. 

Jonny’s simple yet bold compositions perfectly distil the essence of each place – his ‘Tyne’ poster features only four of the bridges that cross the iconic river, yet they are so distinct that they are able to convey a sense of Newcastle. Each poster possesses the power of virtual transportation – it feels as though you could be in the sunny ‘Scarbados’ by simply looking at the ice-cream-coloured poster of the quintessential English beach front.

Local sayings also feature on Jonny’s posters, written in striking, vivid typefaces. ‘Gan Canny’, ‘It’s Grim Up North’, and ‘You’re Home’ are just a few of the sayings that are popular amongst locals and non-locals alike. Such Northern idioms and phrases either recognised with glee, followed by a chirpy rendition of the phrase, or met with confusion, usually followed by a baffled tourist politely asking: ‘what does ‘gan’ mean?’

Either way, they evoke joy to all who read them!

Jonny Lancaster’s The Poster Parlour ultimately captures the essence of the North East. His prints come with the promise that, wherever you’re from, the North will always welcome you with open arms and proudly exclaim: ‘You’re Home!’