INTERVIEW
Introducing Supermundane
We're thrilled to welcome London-based artist Rob Lowe, AKA Supermundane, to the Grand Matter roster!
Rob joins us as he enters his fourth decade in the creative industries, a journey that began with a jam-packed ten years as a graphic designer at the cusp of the transition from traditional to digital artworking – a grounding that has informed his work throughout his career – before evolving his practice as an independant artist and illustrator.
Bold linework and shapes with eye-catching use of colour make up his signature abstract digital compositions, that take form instinctively and organically. Rob has collaborated with iconic brands and institutions, from his sold-out designs for zeitgiest homeware brand Made.com to 2024's UEFA Champions League branding and plenty in between.
To introduce his work we spoke to Rob about the foundations of his practice, working with the inventor of the lava lamp and what's next on the agenda for Supermundane!
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To me, abstract work is deeply human as it only makes sense, or comes alive, when we look at and engage with it.
– Rob Lowe
How would you describe your work in one sentence?
My work uses shape, colour and words to create deceptively simple images that play with graphic flatness, optical effects and humour.
What are you most inspired by as an artist?
I’m inspired by making seemingly complex art out of simple ingredients. I like making work that can be seen in different ways, often being immediate in its use of colour and line, but revealing layers of meaning or sophistication with longer viewing.
I’m a fan of lines – physically and metaphorically – and how humans can take joy (and meaning) in these very simple things. To me, abstract work is deeply human as it only makes sense, or comes alive, when we look at and engage with it. A lot of my inspiration comes from books, poetry and music as well as the everyday and nature. Inspiration is everywhere.
How would you describe your creative process?
I often start with a very rough sketch – something that used to be called a scamp. It is a way of getting what is in my head onto paper and is not meant to be seen by anyone other than me. This sketch usually contains the overall feeling of the piece, which I then work on refining. I often concentrate on small areas of a design at a time, making them balance or creating tension. This allows me to make complicated images, where everything is connected, in an organic, unplanned way.
When I’m making work, I’m creating in an emotionally aware state; trusting how the placement of lines and colours make me feel, rather than using maths. It’s not something I tend to think about too much as it has become instinctive, but there is a fine line between overthinking; creating something without the energy and fizz I can when I trust my instincts, and not thinking enough, which has a similar outcome. If I am working with words – as I often do – these are my starting point and the design will be influenced by the shapes of the letters and words. If the words change the design usually changes too.
"
I often concentrate on small areas of a design at a time, making them balance or creating tension. This allows me to make complicated images, where everything is connected, in an organic, unplanned way.
– Rob Lowe
How would you sum up your journey as an artist to where you are now?
I trained in graphic design in the late 80s and early 90s. My first college didn’t have computers, so everything was made by hand. Even at my first job (in a kettle factory) the artwork was made physically, for a year or so, until everything moved over to artworking on the computer. These beginnings have had a lasting effect on my approach to my work. My love of flatness, bold lines and colours can be linked directly to how I was taught to artwork and the limitations that came with that.
My career has been in roughly ten year periods: The first ten I was a graphic designer, working for the inventor of the lava lamp and the Ministry of Sound. Then I designed magazines such as the ground-breaking children’s magazine Anorak and the food-based quarterly Fire & Knives. For the past decade, I have been working purely on my art, illustration and writing. All the time I worked as a designer I also made art; my first solo exhibition was in London in 2004. I’m now heading into my fourth decade of working in the creative industries and I’m excited about where it will lead.
What have you been exploring recently?
For the past 12 years, I’ve been making work with a very limited kit of shapes: circles, squares, 90 degree and 45 degree lines. Using these, along with colour, pattern and words, I have created a huge range of work. Recently I have been trying out less geometric ways of working, experimenting with French Curves (templates for drawing liner curves) which has produced more organic looking work. I’ve also been working with calligraphy to make ‘flourish’ drawings. I was interested in calligraphy as an early teenager and revisited hand lettering when I was making Fire & Knives magazine. These drawings feel like a direct link to the past but also feel modern. The use of repetition and negative space creates images full of movement and beauty from a simple calligraphic flourish. I’m excited about these new approaches and how they can fit in with my more geometeric work.
And finally, do you have a dream commission?
I’d love to work with a fashion designer. I think my approach would work well, not just as patterns but integrated into the structure of the garments. Larger, architectural work, would be amazing. I have a series of simple line drawings called ‘Follys’ which I have always imagined as human-sized structures. I’m an all-year-round cold water swimmer (at Tooting Bec Lido, where I have some tiled murals) so a natural fit would be swimwear. If that isn’t enough, I have always wanted to design a Hermes scarf. I have admired their designs for many years, so it would be a thrill to have my designs on one.
About Supermundane
Rob Lowe, AKA Supermundane, creates abstract artwork featuring strong line work, geometrical shapes and bold use of colour with an optimistic and playful edge, often featuring typography. Rob’s clients include Great Ormond Street, Art Fund, UEFA and London Graphic Centre amongst many others.
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