With a long work history in graphic design and production, John Barclay-Morton brings a wealth of experience to every project he undertakes. Starting out with developing and printing black and white film (at the age of 14), John’s background in print production extends from the end of the photo-mechanical transfer era into the digital age. From the hands-on layout and production techniques traditionally used at small newsrooms, to desktop publishing and the hand coding of websites, John has decades of design experience to draw upon.
In 2014, as a new arrival in New York City, he worked on a freelance basis as an editor before contracting with the New Harlem East Merchants Association as a graphic design and print production specialist. John’s expertise was put to good use in creating a wide range of branding initiatives, program applications, and grant submissions. Upon presenting an initial Commercial District Needs Assessment for East 125th Street to NYC’s Department of Small Business Services, John was asked to undertake an analysis of an adjacent section of 3rd Avenue stretching to 116th Street. The resulting compilations, of photographic surveys, in-person interviews, merchant and consumer intercept surveys, along with the associated analyses, generated numerous interesting insights for both commercial districts.
In his spare time, John has been indulging in his passion for landscape photography, capturing New York's cityscapes in High Dynamic Range panoramas.
Prior to making New York his home, John worked across Canada as a photographer, reporter, graphic designer, layout artist, and photo editor. Parallel to his work in print production, John has pursued an avid interest in post-structural philosophy that began in the early 1980s as a student of Constantine V. Boundas. He continues to research and publish in this field, through such varied venues as Semiotext[e] (the “Canadas” edition, printed in 1994) and the online journal Rhizomes.net — most recently, in Issue 23.
