James Jarvis
Director, Contributing Artist
James Jarvis graduated from the Royal College of Art in 1995. Since then he has embarked on a busy career creating numerous characters and fantasy worlds for commercial advertising and magazine editorial. He has worked for large international clients such as Sony, Nokia and Parco and contributed to a number of international style publications including The Face, Nova and Relax. He has also contributed to a number of art book projects and had a collection of his sketches published by Relax Magazine in Japan. Jarvis has shown his work at various exhibitions worldwide including prestigious stand-alone shows at the Parco galleries in Tokyo, Nagoya and Hiroshima (during 2000 and 2001). In conjunction with these exhibitions he released two solo comic books detailing his World of Pain concept. These were also accompanied by Lars and The Policeman, two collectible 20cm plastic figures which have since become cult items. Indeed, Jarvis is perhaps best known for his plastic creations which have helped shape the infant, but growing world of designer toys and collectible figures. He is responsible for a large cast of almost 100 characters, now forever immortalised in plastic. Having previously designed figures for Silas and Maria, and Sonys Time Capsule vending machine project, he co-founded Amos Novelties Limited which is now the exclusive base for all of his toy figure work.
www.studiojarvis.com |
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Russell Waterman
Director, Contributing Artist
In 1988 Russell Waterman began working for seminal London record and skateboard stores, Rough Trade/Slam City Skates. Throughout the 1990s he became involved in the booming streetwear scene and was responsible for introducing influential US skate/street-fashion brands to a hungry UK market, and developing in-house fashion labels. He left SCS in 1998, and together with fellow Slamite Sofia Prantera, they founded Silas and Maria, a successful and well-respected, high-end street-fashion brand. Waterman worked closely with Prantera and various guest artists, and was instrumental in the development of their conceptual art-driven catalogues. Later he co-edited and co-wrote Where is Silas? a concept-art book (including an extensive James Jarvis section) published by Laurence King. In 2003 he organised the Where is Silas? art exhibition, held at the prestigious Parco Gallery in Tokyo. Silas was also one of the first companies outside the Far East to produce soft vinyl figures, and introduced James Jarvis to a fledgling designer toy audience. In 2002 Jarvis, Prantera and Waterman founded Amos to further develop art based products and books.
In late 2006 Waterman left Silas to concentrate on a life away from street fashion and the clothing industry. He continues to work with Jarvis, including co-writing Vortigern’s Machine and the Great Sage of Wisdom, collaborating on ‘zines, and developing design ideas for new plastic figures. In July 2008 Amos published Wonder Women of America, which Waterman edited and compiled with his photographer wife, Ruth Wiggins. |
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Sofia Prantera
Director
Sofia Prantera is a graduate from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. She went on to design costumes for bands before joining Slam City Skates in 1991, where she worked as clothing designer, with Russell Waterman, until they left together early in 1998 to form Silas and Maria, the well respected and popular London based street/leisure wear brand. It was during her time at Slam City that she first met James Jarvis and realised the potential of incorporating his illustrations into her design projects. She encouraged James to submit work to use for t-shirt graphics as well as commissioning him to create sales catalogues for the Holmes clothing brand.
Prantera went on to design and direct both the men’s and women’s wear for the Silas brand and continued to work with Jarvis right up until she left Silas late in 2006 to spend more time with her family. During these 9 years Jarvis, Waterman and Prantera collaborated on a wide variety of merchandise and sales materials, including the popular Silas vinyl figures. This led to the three of them forming Amos in 2002.
Sofia designs on a freelance basis, working with a diverse base of companies ranging from smaller independents like YMC, to large corporations like Lee Jeans and Nike. She also looks after her young children and somehow finds the time to consult with designers working on Amos licensed product.
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Will Sweeney
Contributing Artist
Will Sweeney. Born in 1973, in London to arty parents. Grew up in Oxford on a diet of Dr Who, 2000AD and The Cramps. Played guitar, gave up and went to art school in Liverpool. Graduated from the Royal College of Art in 1998. Started playing guitar again. Started working for Silas producing t-shirt designs around 2001, Quit job as waiter. Went to Tokyo with 'Where is Silas?' show, 2003. Started drawing Hot Dog Man due to lack of food/ hangover... Russell expressed interest. Toured most of France and bits of Japan playing guitar with The Zongamin band in 2003-4. Hot Dog Man, now named 'Helmut' becomes a reality in 2005. The Green Fuzz saga begins. Three comics, a Hot Dog, and two Kebabs later, world waits patiently for the final installment of Tales From Green Fuzz. Meanwhile work on his own t-shirt label, various exhibitions and his animated music videos, keep him busy.
www.alakazamlabel.com
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