Where did the name and logo come from?

Where did the name and logo come from?

That is an interesting one. I must say that I didn’t spend much time choosing from a list of a dozen options eliminating one by one like most people do.

Before I realised that I had a creative business in hand I had no brand name, no logo and wasn’t even thinking about them until I had to decided everything in one day, the day before facing potential customers with my art for the first time in person.

This was the one-day event for creatives in my area, Harringay. I applied online to take part in it with a stall showcasing my art. I did have plenty of plates and vases ready to take with me, but what was missing was a name and a logo to represent them.

By that time, I was already producing regularly but only selling online, on platforms like Depop and eBay. And as I still didn’t have a brand name and logo, the back of my plates had an extra artwork that I made with the intention of covering up the lack of those so important elements that would give my art a face. I was using the back of the plates to leave impactful short messages like slogans, mixed with a few collage images to complement the text. If you come across any of my early plates, you’ll see this extra touch on the back.

So… I had to choose a name and logo in the afternoon before the event.

“Frisson” is a name which I already had thought about for a business a long time ago. Back then, a friend of mine (Paula) and I were thinking of starting a t-shirt brand with my designs and in one of our brainstorming moments I suggested “Frisson”, because it sounded good, and it also had the same pronunciation and meaning in both languages, English and in our native Portuguese. And of course, in French, where it is originally from.

The t-shirt business idea didn’t flourish as we were both dealing with other primary commitments, but the name stuck in my head, and as soon as I saw myself having to decide on a name for my collage business “Frisson” flashed across through my mind again. At this time, I thought it was missing something to accomplish and to represent even better the art that I was making now.

Frisson (also spelled “friçon“. From Latin frio“), comes from the late 18^th century and it is a French word meaning a sudden strong feeling of excitement or fear; a thrill; a shiver. A frisson of surprise. A frisson of delight.                            Ref. https://etymologeek.com/eng/frisson

It is basically a word to describe a sudden thrill or a fright that can be strangely pleasurable, just like that feeling when reading or watching a good horror fiction.

“House of Frisson” as a brand name sounded coherent with the mood of my artwork, which is quite often spooky with some frighting looking vintage doll faces among flowers and bugs.

How did I come up with the logo?

I trusted my instinct.

It was a quick decision as I didn’t have much time to think about it, and it is still the same design since I made it. I’m happy how it came up and how visually appealing and representative of my work it is.

I think about a fly as a fast mover, that can get away quite easily from being caught up. A fly can disturb one’s peace and be very annoying when entering the house in a summer day when doors are open, buzzing around your head making noise. In fact, most people are disgusted when seeing flies but as disgusting as it can be they serve as important environmental pollinators, decomposers and are also part of the food chain.

What is the relation to my work?

Well, it is perhaps the intention of taking one’s from one’s comfort zone, with messages (visual or written) in the artwork that sometimes one thinks about but most often doesn’t say.

House of Frisson is the fly that the lizard tries to catch and eat but often fails.

But, who’s the lizard?

Open to interpretations! 😊

Regarding the blue rose in the logo…

Roses are a universal way to express feelings and hidden thoughts. A blue rose, in Chinese folklore, means attaining the impossible.

Blue roses don’t grow naturally, they are genetically modified and it is hard to achieve a true-blue shade because of the lack of some natural pigments that form the colour blue. For this reason, there is an enchanting mysticism around this eye-catching colour rose, that are related to the imagination, dreams, desire, and lust.

When it comes to the yellow colour in the logo, yellow is a symbol of happiness and positivity. It inspires hope and enthusiasm as well as new ways of thinking and acting. Optimism, confidence, and cheerfulness are often said to be related to the colour yellow.

I often think of House of Frisson being like a twisted fairyland, which can sometimes look cute with the colourful flowers in the artwork, but on close inspection it can be thought provoking, creepy and quite provocative, which often causes surprise to viewers.

I would love to hear from you! Please leave a message in the comment area below.

Love and frisson,

Luciano R.