Thursday 13 December 2012

Article in The Independent newspaper



On Saturday, the 8th of December 2012, the article 'Illustration: The old favourites that are now a big draw' about the Illustrationcupboard gallery by Nick Duerden featured in the Observations section with Arts in the Independent newspaper.

It reads:
 'How much would you pay for an original Mr Benn, a Mr Men or even a Charlie and Lola? For the next two months, visitors to the Illustration Cupboard in London will have the opportunity to relive some of their favourite children's illustrations, but also, if their pockets are deep enough, to purchase them.
"Nostalgia is definitely part of the appeal", says the exhibition's curator, John Huddy. "A lot of our clients come back year after year because they see things they remember from their own childhood and recall it with such affection they want to pass it onto the next generation."
Children's illustration is an area that has been long under-appreciated in the art-world, but no more. Much like vinyl is enjoying a comeback in a world of downloads, so the drawn line is looking even more appealing in the digital age.
"About time too," Huddy says. "Britain has been a world-leader in picture books for decades now. I'm glad it's finally been acknowledged."
As a consequence, such works are becoming recession-proof investments. But it's not an entirely exclusive exhibition: while a Maurice Sendak lithograph of Where the Wild Things Are (the originals are in a museum) could set you back £5,000, there are works here that start from a mere £75.'
The 17th Annual Winter Exhibition, Illustrationcupboard, London SW1, (www.illustrationcupboard.com)

Thursday 6 December 2012

New illustrator George Butler




We are delighted to welcome the incredibly talented George Butler in this year's Winter show.

George Butler is an artist and illustrator specialising in travel and current affairs. His drawings, done in situ are in pen, ink and watercolour. In August 2012 George walked from Turkey across the border into Syria, where as an unofficial guest of the rebel Free Syrian Army he spent 4 days drawing the civil war damaged, small and empty town of Azaz. These drawings were reproduced by the Times, the Guardian, and reported on the BBC and CNN.

However, his sense of adventure does not stop there - since leaving Kingston university, drawing has taken George around the world, depicting the oil fields in Azerbaijan, soldiers in Afghanistan, reconstructive plastic surgery, G20 riots, the New York Fire Department and Asian Elephants. Amongst several London based solo exhibitions, his work has been exhibited in the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours exhibition at the Mall Galleries, 2008, 2009 & 2011 where he won the June Stokes Roberts Bursury twice and the Winsor and Newton Young Artist's Award.

Below is the artwork 'Market' which is on display at the gallery. This beautifully detailed piece was chosen for the front cover of the G2, August 2012.

Visit George's artist's page for more artwork and information: http://www.illustrationcupboard.com/artist.aspx?aId=384&page=0