M & M (Paris)

M & M (Paris) are a forward thinking creative duo based in Paris (obviously) largely collaborating with artists, photographers and fashion designers from across Europe. The picture at the bottom is taken from Francois Curlet's 2006 London show 'Script from a clip in London'. Often working as art directors and in advisory positions. Their role as graphic designers has changed somewhat over the years, as has their opinions and approach to image making and promotion.

"We chose graphic design no just for the sake of being graphic designers. It was some kind of social commitment, a way to earn a living & also to disseminate our ideas" (1)

Their work has an ideas driven, imaginative streak, unconfined to strict typographical ideals. Having said that it's clear that the work has a fantastic visual aesthetic, at first seemingly naive the work reveals with further viewing a graphic language that is complex and multi-faceted. Drawing in influences from photography, architecture and illustration. They act more like art directors and are indeed credited as creative consultants to Paris Vogue.

"We are not against fine art, but we believe in some kind of relationship between the work & the people who commission the work" (1)

Also when creating type for projects they use more unusual methods, the typeface for Bjork's Volumen best of album (2nd from bottom) was created from a piece of school handwriting. This irreverent approach to creating typefaces was extended to the font Cesar; M & M having commisioned a small child who didn't know how to write letters into creating this alphabet, they then took said font and incorporated it into the pattern of the carpet in a cafe on the rue de Atienne Marcel. Unbeknownst to most diners there lies an encrypted text on the floor.

(1) Quotes taken from Design Museum interview 2005