The Fall of the House of Usher

About Director

George was educated at Tal Handak Royal Naval School, Malta, and at Windsor Boys School, Westphalia, Germany. He studied filmmaking and graphic design at Hornsey College of Art where he also subsequently lectured. He has taught at the Royal College of Art in London, The Danish Design School, The Royal Danish Academy, Parsons (New York) and Syracuse (New York State.) He is honorary professor at the Duncan of Jordanstone College of the University of Dundee.
While at college he spent time in Northern Ireland as a war photographer during the period ‘Internment Without Trial’ to ‘Bloody Sunday’. His work was published in Morning Star, Socialist Worker, Time Out, International Times and OZ
After leaving college he worked closely with Albion records designing record sleeves and the logo for 999, Ian Gomm, the dbs, PinPoint and the Outskirts. His music industry design work was regularly featured in Edward Booth-Clibborn’s European Illustration during the 80’s.
His graphic work has been featured in Harpers & Queen, Vogue, the Sunday Times, The New York Times, Penguin Books, New Scientist, Playboy and BBC Publications.
His music video work includes several videos for the Art of Noise, Jack ‘n’ Chill, Ultraviolet, the Stranglers and London Beat- whose record ‘I’ve Been Thinkin’ About You’ was a worldwide number one. ‘Beatin’ the Heat’ for Jack ‘n’ Chill rose to number three in the UK charts.
He was commissioned by Channel 4 to make 2 short dramas as part of John Wyver’s ‘Ghosts in the Machine’ series. His drama ‘The Assignation’ won several awards including a special commendation at the Tokyo Video Festival in 1989.
His first animation ‘Tall Story’, commissioned by Carlton TV, was a finalist in the 1995 British Animation Awards.
His installation ‘Motorway’, made in collaboration with the Art of Noise, was exhibited in the Worldwide Video Festival in Den Haag, the Melkweg in Amsterdam and Video Brazil in Sao Paulo.
The single screen version of ‘Motorway’ was shown at the London Film Festival in 1993 and at ‘Video Positive’ at the Tate gallery Liverpool.
During his stay in Italy George has designed web sites for the leading Florentine fashion house n9ve and the designer Mauro Taliani. On his return to London in 2010 he designed, the sleeve for the Nitewreckage album ‘Take Your Money and Run’.
In 2009 he organised ‘Bike Palestine’ (www.bikepalestine.com) a 7 day tour cycle tour of Palestine in collaboration with the Siraj Centre in Bethlehem.
In 2013 he completed APES. A 360 degree panoramic movie based on the works of the architects Alberti, Piranesi and Escher. APES is curated by Tom van Vliet of the WWVF and made in collaboration with the Vrije Academie in Den Haag. It is endorsed by the Escher Museum of that city.
In 2016 his Virtual Reality work ‘APES’ was shown at the Cannes film festival and at the Animaze festival in Montreal.
‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ is set in Palestine and features the Palestinian actress Riham Isaaq as Madeline Usher and introduces Alex Macbeth from the UK as Roderick Usher.
He lives in Cortona, Tuscany.