About
DATELINE:
Monday, 27 February 2023 5:58 AM
5° 466’ N. // 158° 65’ W 636 nautical miles south of O’ahu 456 nm north of Kiritimati
Who:
Marc English, designer/educator/artist/author
What:
Currently, under sail on the Sea Dragon, 98’ exploratory vessel. Along with three other passengers, four crew. They head for Tahiti. I get dropped off on Kiritimati.
When:
Right now. February - May 2023, and beyond.
Why:
In 1919, English’s grandfather, Joe English, was rescued by Admiral Lord Jellicoe, HM Royal Navy after being marooned on the world’s largest coral atoll, due to the Spanish Flu pandemic.
For decades grandson Marc has been entrusted with the family artifacts: grandfather’s photos from 1916 – 1919; copies of his correspondence; details on the cultivation of coconuts (Joe managed the Central Pacific Coconut Plantation on the island, barely above the equator, halfway between Hawaii and Tahiti); and the plantation manager’s journal, outlining the contract laborer’s mutiny and attempted murder of Joe.
Now, the younger English – old enough to be grandfather himself – arrives to learn more about the island; the overlapping cultures of the Missionary Catholic and Protestant colonizers; and South Pacific, France, the British Empire, and the United States around which a now-multinational corporation (Unilever) are connected; the Great War; and a 29-year-old man from outside Boston who has found him all but alone on a desert island – using a false name.
How:
Now, delayed by another pandemic, the grandson arrives back to Christmas Island — now Kiritimati – as did his grandfather, under sail, upon 20’ seas and all but Gale winds.
Now, with cameras, watercolor and sketch pads, empty notebooks, gifts for the locals, he will spend two months revisiting London, Paris, Algeria, Poland – all named by the defrocked French missionary turned millionaire who leased the island – the debris-strewn shore of the Bay of Wrecks, and finally stand upon the lone 6’ high point of Kiritimati. called “Joe’s Hill,” where a man hiding his past and once boxing champ of the US Navy’s Atlantic fleet, declared himself King of Christmas Island.
About Marc English:
Marc English is a highly experienced design professional with over three decades of industry expertise. He has served as a Visiting Professor at the Universidad Francisco Marroquín School of Business in Guatemala City and as a Graduate Professor at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Additionally, he has taught at various institutions across the United States and Mexico. Marc earned his BFA with honors from the Massachusetts College of Art + Design and a Certificate of study under Massimo Vignelli from Harvard University. He has been a juror for design and advertising competitions since 1993 and a guest speaker at professional and institutional venues and conferences across the United States. As a communication design studio principal, Marc has managed all aspects of his studio's operations, focusing on corporate identity/branding. His clientele ranges from local to international clients in healthcare, aviation, technology, entertainment, retail, and arts industries. Marc authored the book Designing Identity: Graphic Design as a Business Strategy and has received recognition for his work from several prestigious organizations, including AIGA, Graphis, and the American Center for Design. English’s work can also be found in the collections of the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg, Germany, the Merrill C. Berman Collection, New York, and the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitano, México City. Outside of his professional work, Marc is an adventurer at heart. He has led rock bands, snowshoed solo across the Continental Divide, kayaked the Pecos River, and ridden camels in the Sahara. He is a motorcycle enthusiast and has completed 7000+ and 10,000+ mile trips. He continues to inspire young designers through his teaching and mentorship.