Edward Bawden and the Circus Of Illustration has finally opened at The Higgins in Bedford. It is a new exhibition that is on until October 2024.
This exhibition is a sister show to Edward Bawden and Me, which is a major exhibition, running concurrently with this show. However, our exhibition has a focus on local illustrators and artists.
Who are the Circus Of Illustration?
The Circus Of Illustration is an informal group of professional Bedford-based artists, designers, and illustrators, who volunteer their free time to help promote Illustration here in the town.
The group is run by committee. At the moment. There are five of us. Daniel Churchill, Katie Allen, Kristina Bullen, Elly Loughlin and myself.
Since 2011, we have been promoting Illustration in Bedford. We do this through workshops, hosting exhibitions, running professional development talks, and we run our monthly social- Drink and Draw.
Like the artists in the main show, the Circus Of Illustration was approached by The Higgins to produce a brand-new piece of work which was inspired by the Edward Bawden archive. Bawden bequeathed his archive to The Higgins after he died. It is an amazing body of work which embodies 20th century, British design and Illustration.
Everyone at the circus thought it would be perfect to offer this opportunity to new talented illustrators, who live in Bedford.
We reached out to students, recent graduates, brilliant hobbyists, and people who are looking for a pivot in their career.
The work that our local illustrators and artists produced is amazing, and I thoroughly recommend that you visit The Higgins to see Edward Bawden and Me and go upstairs to the Bawden Gallery to see Edward Bawden and Circus Of Illustration. You will see that Bedford has some amazing creatives. Check out our special ‘behind the scenes’ website for sketches, animation and process videos of the work.
Bawden’s influence on us as Bedford based illustrators is really significant. We love his work and it’s privilege, knowing that it is being carefully looked after here on our doorstep at our local museum. During his career he produced watercolours, linoprints, commercial designs and took on a variety of commissions. This way of working chimes with me in my day-job as an illustrator and designer at Doodle Press.
My Bawden inspiration for the exhibition.
My piece for this exhibition is called ‘Meeting At The Chapel’
I have a postcard sized copy of Bawden’s linocut Road to Thaxted framed at home, so I was thrilled to see the real thing. I’m impressed with how Bawden simplifies subjects whilst retaining their identity. I had never noticed the person in the window before. What’s their relationship with the policeman? Could I create a similar mystery?
I do a lot of Illustration work for Foster Hill Road Cemetery, so I wanted to include the chapel in my work. You can watch a video of how I made this reduction linoprint. Each colour layer is printed by hand from the same piece of lino.
At this exhibition, our new piece of work hangs right next to the Bawden original that inspired us.
I’m so chuffed to be a part of this exhibition- it looks amazing! If you live near Bedford I recommend you visit The Higgins to see Edward Bawden and Me and Edward Bawden and the Circus of Illustration.
Folk Style Linocuts By MStraccia Art 