Factory Records: MARK FARROW

Graphic designer who worked on selected Factory product

Adrian Shaughnessy interviewed Mark Farrow on the occasion of him being voted "the best graphic designer working today" in Creative Review's annual Peer Poll [October 2004 issue].

Highlights include the following exchange about Peter Saville:

AS: Peter Saville has won the Creative Review peer poll of the past two years. Tony Wilson [Factory Records founder] has said that Saville refers to you as the "apprentice", and Wilson also reckons that you are the only person Saville feels threatened by? Is this Wilson myth-making, or is there something in it?

MF: Yeah, I've heard all this. And the story about Saville presenting a sleeve mock up to New Order for Technique, and someone saying to him, 'have you seen Farrow's design for Introspective [Pet Shop Boys album]? It's the same design.' I know all about that. I remember him and Malcolm Garrett coming into a record shop I worked in on Saturday mornings in Manchester. He and Malcolm would buy loads of stuff. And I've said many times that Unknown Pleasures had a huge effect on me. It changed my view about what record covers should be.

I always want to know what Peter's doing, and I rarely dislike what he does. I liked the exhibition and the book. So yes, he's an influence. But am I his apprentice? Well, there are worse people to be apprenticed to, but no, I;m not his apprentice. Besides, I'm a lot more successful than he is [laughs].