Paul Clark (designer)

Paul B. Clark (born 1940) is a designer, design historian, model rocketeer and curator whose designs established his reputation with the birth of British pop culture in the 1960s. By printing silk-screened Pop decoration onto cheap, mass-produced products, Clark was among a group of young designers who undermined accepted ideas of good taste, by elevating everyday items into fashionable objects. Clark's interest in science and space travel led him to create model rockets for international competitions as well as commercial model rocket kits. He is the founder of the British Space Modelling Association.

His archive is located at the University of Brighton Design Archives.

Paul Clark was educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood from 1954 to 1958. Following a two-year intermediate art course at Hammersmith College of Art, London (1959-1961), Clark joined the Central School of Arts and Crafts where he began an Industrial Design NDD course. In 1984 Clark graduated with an MA in Cultural Studies from the Royal College of Art.

Clark began his career assisting ceramic designer Michel Caddy in his studio whilst a student at Central School of Arts and Crafts on the Industrial Design course. There he was involved in graphic design and also gained experience designing various of 3D materials and ceramics. In 1962 he decided not to return to Central School of Arts and Crafts, instead establishing himself as a freelance graphic designer and a maker of accessories for the kitchen. There was a revival of interest in Victorian and Edwardian style and one of his first products was a range of knob stoppered storage jars. Also at this time, Clark developed an interest in Letraset, designing and applying for a provisional patent on his own display lettering system. Clark developed a freelance graphic design practice which included clients DuPont, Augusta Productions, and Goods & Chattels.

As a Pop designer in the swinging London era, Clark's work was particularly popular in the boutiques of London's Carnaby Street such as Gear. He also supplied Kleptomania in Kingly Street, which was run by Tommy Roberts who later opened the famous Mr Freedom in the Kings Road.

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