Where does illustration fit in?

AOI have responded to the recent consultation on proposed changes to how the Department for Culture, Media & Sport measure the value of the creative industries. The purpose of the consultation is to define how Government measures the contribution of the creative industries to the UK economy and to update the Creative Industries classification system.

The first stage of the process is to decide which are the creative occupations.

AOI pointed out that the occupation of ‘illustrator’ is not included in the consultation’s list of creative occupations, stating that this professional occupation entails a high level of skill (which is usually commenced after completing an arts Foundation course of 1 year and a BA Hons degree of 3 years. An MA may be undertaken also for 1-2 years) which we believe is to at least the third skill level as defined by the SOC2010 Manual.

AOI noted that ‘Artistic creation’ is included within the proposed definitions list under the ‘Creative, arts and entertainment activities’ description, however this broad description could be interpreted as the ‘fine art’ field, rather than the commercial art practiced by illustrators. Therefore AOI believe that illustration should be included as a sector, or that it should be defined as being included within the ‘Artistic creation’ section.

We are not aware that ‘Illustration’ has been grouped inclusively under ‘Artistic Creation’ as a definition in the ‘Creative, arts and entertainment activities’ description and encourage Government to consider illustration as a distinct activity as it has done with photography.

The consultation closed on 14 June 2013, but can be seen here:

The summer issue of Varoom – Experiment – is packed with great content (as always), looking at the many different approaches experimentation can take. Cover artwork is by Stuart Kolakovic.

In “Seven Thoughts on the Cult of the Sketchbook” Jane Stanton writes that the point of the sketchbook is it gives you permission not to come to conclusions. In “The New Wave Sci-Vi”, Bryony Quinn argues the power of the new scientific imagery is as a medium greater understanding – rather than understanding’s final destination. 

Marian Bantjes’ turns the sterility of the scientific experiment into an object of beauty, while Laurie Britton-Newell and Ligaya Salazar reflect on Memory Palace, the new V&A illustration exhibition that’s a Walk-In Book, “What does it mean to ‘read’ a story? How far can you push the format and still call something a book?” Even the old-time wonders of Alchemy get a look in. We wanted to write something conclusive about experiment, but creative experiment means no conclusions.

Varoom 22 – the illustration report is avaiable from good bookshops and at the AOI online shop as a single copy or as part of a subscription.

The 11 June launch of Varoom 22 at Foyle’s Bookshop featured distinguished panellists from three very different areas of the industry discussing their encounters with experimental image making. From left, onedotzero CEO and Creative Director Shane Walter, V&A Curators Laurie Britton and Ligaya Salazar and illustrator Katie Scott.

The evening was a great success, covering many of the themes in Varoom 22 Experiment, and left the capacity audience buzzing.

The event will soon be available from the Varoom website as a podcast.

PLR (payment for loans of library books) online applications must be submitted by midnight on 30 June to be included in the year end calculations. As 30 June falls on a Sunday, when the office is closed, postal applications must be received by no later than 1 July

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) announced in March that the Public Lending Right body will cease to exist as a separate organisation and responsibility for managing the PLR Scheme is to be transferred to the British Library. The post of Registrar will be abolished and the Registrar’s responsibilities will be taken over by the British Library board. The changes are expected to take effect from 1 October.

PLR staff, currently employed by the Registrar, will transfer over to the British Library and PLR will continue to be administered by the existing team from their offices in Stockton-on-Tees..

These changes in governance will have no impact on PLR as the right of authors to receive payment for the lending out of their books by public libraries. The PLR Scheme will continue to operate in the usual way after the transfer of responsibilities to the British Library. Authors should continue to register their books for UK and Irish PLR with the PLR office in Stockton.

The government decision to abolish the PLR body follows a public consultation last year which the AOI responded to stating that PLR should remain as it is, as there were no proven benefits to the changes.

DOT TO DOT SHOW – A collection of work from Arts University Bournemouth Illustration Graduates

The Rag Factory, 16-18 Heneage Street, E1 5LJ, London

Tuesday 16th of July at a Private View, 6pm to 10pm.
The Space is then open from Wednesday the 17th to Saturday the 20th, 10am to 7pm daily.

The graduate Illustration students of Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) are bringing an innovative collection of contemporary work to The Rag Factory in Brick Lane, London.

The show will feature illustration in different medias, from traditional drawing and printmaking, to plush toys and animation. There will be a small shop selling work, such as cards, prints, books, pillows, T-shirts, badges, and other items. Running throughout the week there will be workshops open and free to the public. These will be run by the featured Illustrators, demonstrating their skills and techniques in areas such as book binding and toy making.

For a preview of some of the work please visit

For more information on the event please see Facebook or follow them on twitter @dottodotAUB

‘Well Said’ Camberwell BA Illustration Degree Show 2013

Camberwell College of Arts

Peckham Road

London

SE5 8UF

Monday 17 – Saturday 22 June 2013

Opening Times:

Monday 17 June: 6pm – 9pm

Tuesday 18 – Friday 21 June: 10am – 8pm.

Saturday 22 June: 11am – 5pm.

http://wellsaid2013.com/

‘Well Said’ is the Camberwell BA(Hons) Illustration degree show 2013, which forms part of the Camberwell College of Arts Show 2013.

‘London College of Exhibitionists’ London College of Communication 2013 Degree Show

Show 3

London College of Communication

Elephant & Castle

London

SE1 6SB

Friday 21 – Friday 28 June 2013

Opening times:

Monday – Friday: 10am – 5pm.

Saturday: 11am – 4pm, Sunday Closed.

www.lcc.arts.ac.uk

Show 3 of the London College of Communication graduate shows includes work by students from Animation, Design for Graphic Communication, Digital Media Design, Graphic & Media Design and Illustration.

Central Saint Martins Degree Show 2013

Show Two

Central Saint Martins

The Granary Building

1 Granary Square

King’s Cross

London

N1C 4AA

Wednesday 19 – Sunday 23 June 2013

Opening Times:

Wednesday 19 – Friday 21 June: 21pm – 8pm.

Saturday 22 – Sunday 23 June: 12pm – 6pm.

http://www.csm.arts.ac.uk/about/degreeshows2013/showtwo/

Show Two of the Central Saint Martins Degree Shows features both BA and MA courses such as BA Graphic Design, MA Communication Design and MA Creative Practice for Narrative Environment.

‘My Work’ 2013 Art & Design Degree Show, University of Bedfordshire

Campus Centre

University of Bedfordshire

Park Square
Luton

Beds

LU1 3JU

Thursday 6 June, 6pm – 9pm
mywork.wecreatetogether.net

The University of Bedfordshire Art and Design degree show. Demonstrating the use of laser cutters and 3D printing, the title of title of the show – my work – reflects the student centred nature of the University.

Kingston University Show 2013

Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture

Kingston University

Knights Park

Kingston Upon Thames

KT1 2QJ

Sunday 16 June – Friday 21 June 2013

Opening times:

Sunday 16 June 1pm – 5pm

Monday 17 June – Thursday 20 June 1pm – 7pm

Friday 21 June 1pm – 5pm.

Tel: 020 8417 9000

Website: http://fada.kingston.ac.uk/degree-show/

The 2013 Undergraduate Degree Show for the Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture at Kingston University. On display will be work that demonstrates the students’ readiness to question, shape and improve the world around them.

BA (Hons) Illustration and Animation

2013 Kingston University London Show

White Rabbit

471 – 473 The Arches

Dereham Place

Shoreditch

London

EC2A 3HJ

Friday 28 June – Sunday 30 June

Opening times: 11am – 7pm

http://fada.kingston.ac.uk/degree-show/

Greta Mikalauskaite, Middlesex University

Laboratory

University Middlesex London Art & Design Degree Show 2013

F Block

The Old Truman Brewery

91 Brick Lane

London E1

Saturday 8 June – Monday 10 June 2013

Saturday 8 June: 10am – 5.30pm

Sunday 9 – Monday 10 June: 10am – 7pm.

http://www.mdx.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/art_design/degree_show.aspx

The annual Middlesex University Art and Design Degree show featuring work from Animation, Fine Art, Fashion, Graphic Design, Illustration, Photography, Interior Architecture, Furniture and Product Design.

Spectrum

UCA Maidstone Degree Show 2013

The Rag Factory

16 – 18 Heneage Street

London

E1 5LJ

Friday 31 May – Monday 3 June 2013.

Opening Times: 10.30am – 6pm

http://www.spectrumdegreeshow.co.uk/

Spectrum is a show featuring final year students at the University for the Creative Arts at Maidstone, from across a wide range of courses, icluding Illustration and Graphic Design: Visual Communication.

2013 University Of East London Degree Show 2013

ADI School SHOWCASE

AVA Building
UEL Docklands Campus
Docklands DLR

E16 2RD

Friday 31 May – Sunday 2 June

Opening times: 6pm – 9pm.

http://weareuelillustration.tumblr.com/post/51061504756

The Illustration Combined programme graduate show 2013 is taking place during the major Art and Design 2013 showcase at the School of Arts and Digital Industries, part of the University of East London.

Degree Show 2013

Faculty of Arts, Plymouth University

Roland Levinsky Building

Peninsula Arts Gallery

Scott Building

Mills Bakery, Royal William Yard

Saturday 15 June – Wednesday 26 June 2013

Tel: +441752585020

Website: http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/pages/view.asp?page=28809

Arts Degree Showcase for the Faculty of Arts at Plymouth University.

Manchester School of Art Degree Show 2013.

New Art School Building & Chatham Tower

Manchester School of Art

Manchester Metropolitan University

Cavendish Street

Manchester

M15 6BR

Saturday 15 June – Wednesday 19 June 2013.

Opening times

Saturday and Sunday: 10am – 4pm.

Monday to Wednesday: 10am – 6pm.

http://degreeshow.mmu.ac.uk/

The Degree Show celebrates the achievements and talents of final year students at the Manchester School of Art. The show is open to the public and will take place between 15 and 19 June 2013.

This is a particularly special year for the Manchester School of Art as they are celebrating their 175th Anniversary and moving into a brand new £34M Art School Building.

The Big Show

Faculty of Arts, Design and Technology Degree Show at The University of Derby 2013

University of Derby

Kedleston Road

Derby

DE22 1GB

Saturday 1 June – Tuesday 11 June 2013

Tel: +44 (0)1332 590500

Website: http://www.derby.ac.uk/academicschools/bigshow/

The annual Degree Show at the University of Derby celebrates the work created by final year students in the Faculty of Arts, Design and Technology.

The Jackdaw

University of Worcester Illustration Show 2013

The Gallery at Foyles

Foyles Bookshop

113 – 119 Charing Cross Road

LONDON

WC2H 0EB

Monday 3 June – Saturday 15 June 2013

http://jackdaw2013london.wix.com/jackdaw

Taking place at The Gallery at Foyles Bookshop on Charing Cross Road, the exhibition will feature work from the students of the Worcester Illustration course.

UWE Creative Industries Degree Show 2013

Bower Ashton Campus

Kennel Lodge Road

off Clanage Road

Bower Ashton

Bristol

BS3 2JT

Saturday 8 June – Thursday 13 June 2013

Opening times:

Saturday 8 June: 10am – 6pm.

Sunday 9 June: 10am – 4pm.

Monday 10 – Thursday 13 June: 10am – 8pm.

Website: http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/cahe/creativeindustries/events/degreeshos.aspx

UWE’s annual Degree Show is showcasing the work of more than 500 graduates from the university’s BA(Hons) and MA Art, Design and Media courses.

Illustration by Benedict Blythe, UWE

Break a Lead

UWE Illustration – London Degree Show 2013.

F Block G5

The Old Truman Brewery

91 – 95 Brick Lane

London

E1 6QL

Thursday 27 June –  Monday 1 July 2013

Opening times:

Thursday 27 June: 6pm – 10pm

Friday 28 – Sunday 30: 10am – 7pm

Monday 1 July: 10am – 4pm.

www.breakalead.tumblr.com

http://www.free-range.org.uk/

Showcasing west country illustrators, Break a Lead are a collaboration of illustration graduates from UWE. On show will be a combination of work in response to various live briefs, competitions and personal projects. Featuring eclectic styles, varied themes, and diverse motifs.

VISUAL SCIENCE - Explored through the work of Adrian Holme and Christina Mitrentse

A discussion salon at The Devereux, 20 Devereux Court, Temple, London WC2R 3JJ

Monday 3 June 2013, 6.30pm to 10pm

Tickets on the door:  £6.50 www.ideas-matter-sphere.com

Christina Mitrentse: Anomalous God Is Not Great No 1.

Alchemy was a system in which the symbolic, the visual, the ‘spiritual’ and the material (scientific) coexisted.  Adrian Holme, a lecturer, writer and artist with a science background in biology, looks at the moment when the alchemical approach gave way to modern science, relating this to a shift away from an integrated world-view to a progressive division between ‘art’ and ‘science’, favouring the precision of text over image as the preferred form of serious discourse. Adrian’s piece on Alchemy will feature in Varoom 22.

Artist Christina Mitrentse will discuss her drawings, sculptures and installations.  With influences dating back to a childhood immersed in her physicist father’s science library, her work creates a developing visual language which unites the symbolic, visual, spiritual and scientific.

Visual Science is part of a series of cross-disciplinary discussion events organised by ideas-matter-sphere.  The events bring together speakers and audiences to explore and discuss ideas in an informal environment, using a point of connection within each contributor’s work as a starting point.  The creative input of those present then directs the outcome.

Guest chairperson is Dr Sheena Calvert.  Sheena has an extensive knowledge of art and critical theory together with knowledge of philosophy and experience as a letterpress printmaker.

Booking is advisable: info@ideas-matter-sphere.com

image:  Christina Mitrentse: Anomalous God Is Not Great No 1. Graphite powder, silver pencil, pastel powder,ink,chalk on paper, 260×260cm © mitrentse & dalla Rosa Gallery. Presented at London Art Fair- January 2013. Available to view at dalla Rosa Gallery

1 May to 21 July 2013

The Cartoon Museum
35 Little Russell Street, London WC1A 2HH.
Telephone 0207 580 8155
www.cartoonmuseum.org

Monday – Saturday, 10.30 – 17.30 including Bank Holidays, Sunday 12.00 – 17.30

AOI Patron, Ralph Steadman, is holding a retrospective of his work – Steadman @ 77.

Ralph is one of the most important British illustrators of the last fifty years. He is famous for his long collaboration with the writer Hunter S. Thompson, most notably providing the illustrations for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1971), and helping to create what has since become known as ‘Gonzo’ journalism. Steadman has attained a cult status in certain circles and has influenced many graphic and comic artists. His art has won him an international reputation and received numerous awards. His own illustrated books have been translated into several languages and his artwork has been exhibited around the world.

To celebrate his multifarious career (and his 77th birthday) the Cartoon Museum is mounting a major retrospective of his work over the last 50 years. It will feature over 100 original artworks.

Henry Boon

Call for Entries: Cheltenham Illustration Awards 2013 – Deadline 3 June 2013

Call for Entries for the 7th competition, Exhibition, Publication and Symposium.

Last year the Cheltenham Illustration Awards had contributions from 16 countries. Their aim is to provide a platform for illustrators to promote and exhibit their work as widely as possible.

This year’s theme is Tales of Mood and Memory, with memory also the theme to this year’s Times Cheltenham Literature Festival.

Artwork is invited in digital format, with an emphasis on narrative illustration.

Winners will be exhibited in October as part of the Times Cheltenham Literature Festival and in association with the Holst Birthplace Museum, and published in a full colour Annual.

Prizes of cash and an Apple computer will be awarded – for full details and application forms please visit here

The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival runs from 4th-13th October 2013

We’re never adverse to a bit of artistic colouring in at the AOI, being very good at pencil control. But we can also break out of those lines and just go for it! Johanna Basford’s intricately drawn new book, Secret Garden, brings an element of sophistication to what can be an unusually therapeutic pastime.

Johanna’s line drawings look beautiful on their own, but are there for filling in and expanding on, so off we went. Above is Nicola Manuel’s autumnal coloured leaves, and below Derek Brazell’s watercolour efforts.

Secret Garden is published by Laurence King

The evening of 11 April saw the latest in Varoom magazine’s events based on the theme of the most recent issue take place at Foyles in London. Issue 21’s theme is Rules. Members of First Hand reportage collective were drawing throughout the evening, and we’ll be showing their results on the Varoom website soon.

Produced by the AOI, the event was chaired by Varoom editor John O’Reilly, with three panelists discussing their work around the theme of Rules. First on was Phoebe Halstead, a freelance illustrator, animator and director of ‘pH Level Studio’ animation studio and founding member of the illustration collective First Hand whose members took part in the 24 hour Musicals event covered in Varoom 21.

Maker of interactive children’s books and comics, Viviane Schwarz, spoke next about her new Welcome to your awesome robot book, featured in Varoom21 and also covered her well known title, There are Cats in this Book.

Author, artist and designer, Graham Rawle, spoke about his books including collaged novel Woman’s World, and new book The Card about ‘found’ playing cards.

AOI staff, Helen and Derek, were then very surprised to discover a ‘found’ playing card (7 of Hearts) lying on the pavement in Oxford Street on their way to the tube. Spooky!

AOI Managing Director, Heng Khoo, writes on how changing rights, wider interests and diversifying markets are affecting illustrators in the Industry Focus section of the new Computer Arts Collection, Illustration edition.

The article starts: Imagery is essential to our culture and is visible across all areas of modern life. Illustrators contribute enormously to this, but they still face challenges, both economic and technological. As a subject, illustration has never been so popular, with nearly 80 universities and colleges in the UK offering courses in illustration and graphic design.

Compared to the late 70s, when illustrators promoted their work in a physical portfolio, the digital age also presents many new opportunities. The challenge nowadays is sustaining a lengthy career when fresh imagery is only a commissioner’s mouse click away.

For more see the magazine…