My Creative Hero: Glenn O’Brien
Fred Paginton is responsible for some of the most well-known work for luxury brands in recent years, including the Gucci loafer campaign featuring actor Paul Mescal, Moncler’s spring/summer 2024 campaign entitled 'An Invitation to Dream’, and the exhibition takeover of Milan's central station during design week featuring a cast of global visionaries such as Deepak Chopra, Isamaya Ffrench, Jeremy O. Harris and Daniel Arsham.
During his tenure with Dazed, Fred was awarded three British Arrows awards and a Ciclope for his work with Nike, as well as a Lovie award for the studio’s H&M Move global campaign.
Prior to Dazed, Fred was with hyper creative agency U-Dox, where he led global campaigns and special projects for Adidas Originals, and additionally created the global strategy and brand expression for the iconic automotive brand, Mini.
LBB> Who would you say is your creative hero?
Fred> I have many individual heroes that I’m unconditionally inspired by, but one I think I always go back to is the legendary writer, editor and creative director, Glenn O’Brien.
LBB> How long has he been important to you and what are your first memories of meeting him or coming across his work?
Fred> I first came across Glenn O’Brien watching 'TV Party' on YouTube as an art-obsessed student at university. TV Party was a late-night, public-access T.V. show that he hosted in New York, where stars and downtown legends like Robert Mapplethorpe, David Byrne, Blondie and Jean-Michel Basquiat would drop by to chat.
I’ve always loved that early downtown, avant-garde era of New York, specifically from the 80s all through the mid 90s. It was a period when New York was (presumably) a living-dumpster, but creatively speaking, it was the centre of the world — mainly because artists could actually afford to live (and create!) there.
LBB> How did you go about finding to learn more about him and his work?
Fred> This fascination with New York’s artistic and subcultural heritage actually led me somewhat closer to Glenn, when in 2011 I moved to New York to work as a writer for the influential arts publication, BOMB; a magazine founded by artists for artists, in 1981 by Betsy Sussler (who still runs it to this day), Sarah Charlesworth, Liza Bear, and unknowingly at the time, Glenn O’Brien.
BOMB was a place for artists, writers, and performers from all disciplines and diverse cultural backgrounds to discuss their creative process. It was something that resonated with me deeply and allowed me to discover a community I felt part of; one directly linked to the lineage of New York’s radical downtown art scene.
Once there I jumped into the archive. I read all of Glenn’s features. I bought all the books he wrote. I watched every interview and conversation on YouTube I could find. Poured over his issues of Interview Magazine where he was famously editor-in-chief under Andy Warhol. Discovered his commercial work as a creative director — and pieced together the man himself.
Sadly, I never had the chance to meet Glenn O’Brien. He passed away in 2017, so my interactions with him will always be through his work and archival material — even though I feel like I did once sit next to him in a diner when I lived out there… but maybe that’s my memory playing tricks on me.
However, one of the many reasons he is so alluring to me is his unmistakable personality. Often in front of the camera, he exuded cool with his understated confidence and playful irreverence. Never trying too hard. Always true to himself. And always with a point of view.
LBB> Why is he such an inspiration to you?
Fred> Glenn believed in the power of art and creativity, embracing disruption and modernity. He tried his hand at anything – and just so happened to be good at it all.
He was a writer but also a creative director who knew how to use wit and emotion to delicately express pertinent points. A purveyor of art, literature, style and popular culture; Nothing was too high or too low; An old soul that’s firmly plugged into what’s new and happening around him; He was intelligent without being stuffy or know-it-all.
Perhaps more than anything, I’m inspired by the way he sort of possessed a ‘soft power’. Expressing bold ideas and knowledge in a way that is completely single-minded without being oppressive is a rare skill. Glenn was a force of nature in that sense.
LBB> How does he influence you in your approach to your creative work?
Fred> If you look at Glenn’s advertising work (e.g. the iconic CK advert with Kate Moss that got banned) he always drew parallels with pop culture and art. He knew how to take radical ideas and perspectives that were prevalent in the downtown circles he presided, and distil them into something that could be connected with by mass audiences, doing so in a way that wasn’t dumbed down. He truly knew what zeitgeist meant.
LBB> What piece or pieces of his work do you keep coming back to and why?
Fred> My favourite piece of Glenn’s works is his book ‘LIKE ART’. It is a collection of his essays from 1984 - 1990 for his art forum column that wrote about advertising’s relationship with art.
It was a period when advertising adopted the sensibilities of contemporary art, and more and more, artists were employing advertising techniques to communicate through their work. Fine art became commercial art. And he knew that meaningless things can have a profound impact on people. I have learnt more from this book on advertising than any other out there.
I think this quote quite nicely sums up his views on creativity, and of course, he’s right.
“Art school is the place you go to learn how to be a creative director, even if you don’t know that yet.”
