In an industry known for its oversized egos and endless self-promotion, Greg Foley has gone about his business, quietly becoming one of the more prolific creative minds of his generation. From children’s books to chess sets, Greg fearlessly goes wherever his interests lead him. We’ve known Greg socially and professionally for over a decade, and in that time have witnessed the emergence of his formidable talent.
B: You grew up in Texas. Where precisely? How did this upbringing influence who you are today?
GF: My hometown is Austin, TX. There’s a particular pride that most Texans have about the state, and Austin enjoys a unique, liberal status within it. But apart from western boots and cowboy hats, it’s the “hometown” thing that I relate to—it’s nice to come “home” and touch base for some perspective.
B: You went to RISD. How was that experience?
GF: Back when I finished high school, things were culturally flatter in Texas, so it was a revelation to move up East where everything was more diverse. RISD was a great place to be, because it had the classic college atmosphere (practically sharing a campus with Brown University), and New York City was accessible, but not overwhelming.
B: Was Visionaire your first job out of school?
GF: More or less. I contributed to the first issue of Visionaire while still in college, and regardless of many other projects, it’s the one thing that I’ve consistently worked on since 1991.
B: How did you meet Stephen [Gan] and Cecilia [Dean]?
GF: My college friend, Karen Park-Goude introduced me to Stephen. She’d interned for him at Details magazine (before it was a Conde Nast title) and she sort of passed the torch to me. Stephen and I became friends, and I would crash on his and James Kaliardos’ couch whenever I’d come to the city. Cecilia was very close with them, so we all worked on Visionaire together.
B: What were the early days of Visionaire like?
GF: Initially, there was no formal “plan,” and Stephen would call everyone together when it was time to consider a new issue. Computer layouts, the internet, and even email hardly existed, so everything was put together on art boards with X-actos, Xerox copies, and spray adhesive. Occasionally, Cecilia had to show up to the (local) printer (who usually printed porno), and not leave until they ran the job.
B: Today you are Creative Director / Design Director of Visionaire/V/VMAN. What is your average day like?
GF: Get up, make the donuts, drop by the Visionaire office for review meetings or brainstorms… Then push along any other projects I’m doing outside the office. During spring semesters, I co-teach a class called “The Visual Story” with Cecilia Dean and Donald Hearn in the evenings at Parsons. Most days, it’s good if I can find a couple hours to sit alone and do some writing or research on new ideas.
B: What do you look for when you hire designers?
GF: Generally it helps if the designer knows the difference between what we do compared to more conventional publications—it requires a certain passion. Occasionally, there will be a student from our class who stands out and also wants to intern for Visionaire / V / VMAN. Some of our designers have started out that way.
B: You are now on issue #54 of Visionaire. How do you keep things fresh?
GF: Ironically, patience and tenacity… There’s a list of “dream” issues that we constantly update—involving new production techniques or creative communities we want to focus on—but it can take years for dreams to become reality. When the time is right we move boldly.
B: V/VMAN have carved out their niche in an incredibly competitive magazine world. What have been the keys to their success?
GF: The strength of our creative community—the contributors—and the freedom they’re allowed to do exciting work. Some of that comes from being smaller and totally independent.
B: Visionaire likes to mix things up. What were some of the more memorable moments?
GF: Visionaire issues often bridge creative boundaries. For example, we’ve explored the worlds of scent, taste, film, and sound. For issues 44, Toys, and 45, More Toys, we invited top fashion designers to work with a toy.
B: You also designed a custom Munny, for Kidrobot. Can you describe what that experience was like?
GF: Kidrobot asks lots of artists and designers to customize blank products (which they sometimes auction for charity). I’d done a custom version of their Dunny figure, and when they sent out their newer Munny figure (with accessories), I thought it would be funny to just take a “bite” out of each piece—including the figure.
B: In the mid-90′s, you were involved with Orfi. Can you explain what this creative group was about?
GF: Orfi (the organization for returning a fashion interest) was a NY fashion/art label founded by Donald Hearn, Scott Kruger, and Ana Gonzales. They had one of the first spots in the Meatpacking District, called 407, and a store at 13 Prince Street called The Hotel Of The Rising Star. It was a hotbed for creative collaboration at the time and I developed a lot of graphics and imagery with them.
B: What is fashionable today?
GF: The incidental and the unexpected.
B: What inspires you and keeps you current in our ever-changing landscape?
GF: A well told story about anything.
For part 2 of this interview, click here.
Loading ...
No comments