Aaron VehlingAn exhibit showcasing original works of art, preliminary sketches and finished printed images of the work of 16 contemporary illustrators is now in the Foster Gallery.
A group illustration exhibition, “Illustration: Personal Responses in a Public World,” is running in the UW-Eau Claire Foster Gallery until Feb. 13 in the Haas Fine Arts Center. The exhibit is made possible by a grant through the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.
Among the exhibitors whose work will be shown, two will visit campus in February and March. Jordin Isip and Peter de Sve will give presentations and view student portfolios.
Sangram Majumdar, assistant professor of art at UW-Eau Claire, organized the exhibit. Majumdar chose the artists personally because he wanted to show a variety of fields within illustration including editorial, advertising, children’s books, science fiction and fantasy, he said. In addition, he said he hopes to show the different working processes from traditional to digital media, and actual sizes of work ranging from five-inch squares to four-by-five foot squares.
“Peter de Sve has worked for numerous animated films, most currently designing all the characters for ‘Ice Age’ as well as work on ‘Treasure Planet,'” Majumdar said. “He has recently been nominated for the Annie Award for his work in these two movies.”
“Part of my purpose in this show was to give them a chance to see the quality and high caliber of the original work,” he said.
In some cases, the final image is seen in its intended state, like a book cover, he said.
Art students aren’t the only ones who benefit from the exhibit. Anyone who sees the show could identify with the function and intent of the images, Majumdar said. Illustration, as a medium of communication, caters to the masses and is therefore encountered daily by seeing magazines and billboards, among other things, he said.
For students in fine art especially, the work showcases visual sophistication and the joy of imagery necessary to be in the field.
“It shows clearly that there is no specific style, but the range of imagery and choice of media is wide open,” Majumdar said. “It shows the level of dedication one goes through in creating these pieces, evident in the sketches and other reference materials the artists included.
Majumdar said he hopes that students from all over the area will take advantage of the opportunity to view the work of so many talented and professional illustrators.
The sixteen illustrators exhibiting are Gary Baseman, Melinda Beck, Guy Billout, Brian Cronin, Peter de Sve, Jon Foster, Max Grafe, Mary GrandPr, Jordin Isip, Gary Kelley, Fred Lynch, Dave McKean, Barry Moser, Terese Nielsen, Andrea Ventura and Jonathon Weiner.
A full color exhibition catalog is available for $5 at the Foster Gallery.
