The History of Imago Visual
Imago Visual was established by Michael Wyeth in 2002 and emerged from Medical Graphics, the in-house graphics and multimedia service at the University of Cape Town Medical School. From their location at the foothills of Table Mountain, Imago Visual became the main provider of photographic, video, illustration and graphic design services for teaching and research activities at UCT. The agency also provided video and graphic services for pharmaceutical research and development of pioneering medical innovations. Joined by co-director Tarquin Wyeth in 2003, the agency began to expand its offerings and branch out into digital media and design, innovative printing processes, and new media software. Imago Visual was at the cutting edge of UCT’s movement from analogue to digital teaching methods, such as the delivery of teaching materials via interactive CDs.
With this breath of fresh air Imago Visual broadened its audience beyond the university. As a boutique creative agency, energies were focused on attracting more varied design work, fine art projects, large format printing, and digital media work. In so doing, the agency developed a collaborative network of diverse creatives from across the city.
Having built a strong institutional relationship and an excellent reputation for high quality, efficient service, Imago Visual moved to their studio space in vibrant Lower Main Road, Observatory in 2011. Since March 2023, Imago Visual has been a remote agency, offering a dynamic range of services to both local and international clients.
As artists and photographers themselves, Michael and Tarquin Wyeth bring a fine art sensibility to their service offerings. With a deep understanding of and enthusiasm for both analogue and digital art, design and printing, they pride themselves in considering the specific needs of each client, and selecting the best approach: analogue, digital, or a hybrid of the two. They use both new and established techniques with meticulous attention to detail and quality. Their expertise and practical experience also make them expert relationship brokers, helping to effectively communicate the needs of artists to printers and other service providers.
Imago Visual’s services continue to expand. Since the mid-2000s, they have also been involved in some of the earlier iterations of web design, development and e-commerce, a service which has grown and adapted according to the needs of their audience and the context. As platforms and CMS systems constantly shift, Tarquin Wyeth rapidly adapts to meet and anticipate the needs of new and existing clients. The agency also has a special niche in fine art printing, curation, and unique book-binding and limited edition art book options, spearheaded by Michael Wyeth.
The word “imago” is related to the concept of (repeated) metamorphosis. This idea influences the agency’s approach: agile, ever-changing, never getting too comfortable, and continually finding new creative processes to try, and boundaries to push. This approach is more and more relevant in our rapidly changing world.
Tarquin Wyeth
Director, creative director
Tarquin has a background in multimedia design, print, and fine art photography and trained at City Varsity. With 20 years of design industry experience, Tarquin is a technology enthusiast and is always finding new ways to integrate web and other innovation into Imago Visual’s service provision. A born entrepreneur, he enjoys finding smart, creative solutions to all kinds of design challenges. Tarquin is also an exhibiting fine art photographer and loves playing with the lines between analogue and digital – from iPhone photography to darkroom explorations and from electronic music journeys to vinyl fanaticism.
Michael Wyeth
company founder, ceo
Michael has a background in fine art photography, graphic design and illustration and trained at UCT’s Michaelis School of Fine Art. He enjoys working with artists and academics and uses his aesthetic eye to interpret and translate complex scientific concepts to graphic illustrations. Michael is also an acclaimed exhibiting fine art photographer and artist. He is happiest when expressing himself through paint or ink, or on a mission to find the perfect location for his next large format photography session.
Our Clients
