Interview: Perla Fierro, the Graphic Designer Behind the SGR Logo
Perla Fierro is a photographer/Graphic designer/fine artist from northern Mexico. She runs a multi-disciplinary freelance practice working for clients, and her artwork has been exhibited in several museums and galleries. She has collaborated with Silver Gun Records since 2016 on digital, web, and editorial designs and recently launched a brand of products, Artsy Cats Co.
As a graphic designer, you must work with a lot of projects and businesses. What is your favorite type of work?
I enjoy working with artists, whether they are musicians, painters, sculptors, dancers, etc. This type of work enriches my vision as a designer and artist. I feel that the power to convey the artist's message gives much more value to my work.
What artists would you consider influential in your work?
This is a difficult one; there are so many artists I admire in different fields!
Music is a really important part of my work, from design to photography. I can't work without listening to music. I don't have a specific favorite genre of music. I enjoy discovering new artists and new genres and seeing what I like. Some of my all-time favorites are Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Etta James, Nina Simone, Porter, Parcels, and many many more.
When I'm working with a specific musician, I listen to their songs a lot to genuinely get them and channel their message. Sometimes I choose the music based on what I'm working on, but at times the music itself dictates the creative choices of my work.
I also enjoy taking inspiration from plastic artists. Old masters, like Caravaggio, are within my biggest influences, and I try to integrate the fundamentals of their style in a modern approach.
I spend a lot of time learning about and admiring contemporary and classical artists. Whether it´s Kandinsky or Saul Bass, I think it is important to have a visual heritage to inspire our creativity in any artistic field in which we work, and I just love seeing this kind of thing.
What was your inspiration in creating the Silver Gun Records logo?
Silver Gun Logo was an amazing project and one of my favorites of all time. I created this logo in collaboration with my sister Dolores Estrada; she’s an excellent graphic designer. We worked as a team on this branding project. The inspiration came from visual trends in alternative subcultures, including the independent music industry. The finger gun was our solution to play with the label's name in a less obvious way. Visually, we wanted to make something modern and versatile since the label represents all kinds of musicians. A label logo has to be impactful and iconic, but it can't distract from the artists they represent.
What does the Silver Gun Records logo represent to you?
With this, the label seeks high-level musicianship, artist independence, active creativity, passion, and energy. A gun is a weapon, and a hand is what we use to create art. Together they represent a weapon of mass creation of sorts, which is how we think many artists see themselves.
What are some of the most significant challenges of working in graphic design?
The challenging aspect of graphic design is communicating what the brand or artist represents through visuals that resonate with the client’s audience. It is crucial for me, as a graphic designer, to create simple and straightforward images that integrate the most significant characteristics of the brand I’m working for and to meet the requirements of my client.
What are some of your other interests outside of graphic design?
Photography is one of my biggest passions in life. The essential thing is that my photographs transmit something intangible when observed; I think of it like a language where the observer interprets each image with personal experiences. The purpose is to reach a corner of the soul of the person who observes it, evoke a memory, a feeling, thought, or smell. Tell a moving story through capture.
I also love to paint. I don’t practice it professionally; for me, it's a personal challenge to find my style and express my feelings through the colors and brush strokes. I see it like some sort of meditation.
How do graphic design and photography relate to each other in your eyes?
Photography is a powerful tool in graphic design. It helps to communicate a sentiment or an idea. I believe that design and photography synchronize.
Where can people interested in your work view it, support you, or contact you for a project?
I just started a new side project with some artist friends called Artsy Cats Co. We are integrating illustration in clothes and cool appliances, prints of original artworks, and some other fun stuff:
And you can always email me at perla.fierro.design@gmail.com
I’m always excited to collaborate and work on new projects :)
Perla’s Links: