Straight from London... art gallerydisplays work by top illustrators

WORK by some of the country’s top illustrators has gone on show at Beverley Art Gallery.

The artwork was chosen by judges for the London-based Association of Illustrators (AOI), which runs an annual competition seeking “the best of the best” in contemporary illustration.

The exhibition opened in London in June and will tour the country for the next two years, with East Yorkshire the first venue outside the capital. It features more than 80 original works including book, newspaper and children’s illustrations, and ranges from artwork for students’ railcards and ads for breakfast cereals.

Curator Sally Hayes said the exhibition would be of particular interest to design students and added: “We are trying to bring in exhibitions that people would otherwise have to travel to see.

“This has come straight from London to us. If anyone was interested in a career as an illustrator or in product design this is a good chance to see some really good original work.”

The AOI was established in 1973 to promote illustration. Its managing director Ramon Blomfield said: “How you make your images doesn’t matter – whether it’s done with a burned stick, charcoal, or an Apple Mac computer programme.

“The main point is the image and what it does to the mind of the perceiver.”