An Illustration Exhibition at Bedford College
The Circus of Illustration is a group of professional designers and illustrators who volunteer their time to help promote illustration locally in Bedford.
We were approached by Bedford College to organise an exhibition in their South Bank Gallery. Home of their art and design department.
Unfortunately we weren’t given very much time to organise an exhibition from scratch! Usually we like to set a theme and then post a call out. Artists get to create work to a brief this way, but we had so little time, we knew people wouldn’t be able to make something new. We wanted to do the exhibition to show the students a variety of styles and introduce them to professional working illustrators living in their area.
So what about something lost? Or something that had never seen the light of day before?
We received lots of entries from local professionals, hobbyists and recent graduates. We were keen that the work we exhibited was illustration and not fine art, so not everyone who replied to the open call was successful.
Above- Some examples of the work featured in the exhibition. We received paintings, models, pen and ink drawings, handmade prints and digital illustration.
What’s the Difference Between Fine Art and Illustration?
In my opinion, it’s about what you are communicating. Illustrators are story telling with images, and the story they tell doesn’t have to be their own. It can be a personal narrative in a comic strip or graphic novel. It is usually images to illustrate somebody’s story or history. It could be the story of a place or event. Illustration is usually found in books, magazines, posters and products. Fine art is exclusively found in galleries on canvas, not only just paper. Also, in my opinion, the story a fine artist tells is less about somebody else’s narrative and more about how they personally perceive the world themselves. Obviously there is a grey area! What do you think the differences are?
We discovered that there is a snobbery, even within our local creative community about illustration. People think it’s just for children, or that it requires less artistic skill to create. To me, illustration is helping others represent their words and thoughts in an effective way to appeal to adults and children. It is a very generous skill!
My submission was a reduction linocut print of a place near where I live called ‘Mill Meadows’ I wrote a simple little story about my favourite bird that I see there occasionally.
‘Peep peep! In the summer, when the yellow flags are in bloom and there is shade under willow trees, you might be lucky enough to see a flash of a kingfisher, darting along the river.’
Buy a limited edition print of ‘Mill Meadows’ here
The exhibition is on until 29th April 2025, but call ahead to the college to arrange a viewing because access is restricted.
Folk Style Linocuts By MStraccia Art 