Association of Illustrators

The Association of Illustrators (AOI) was established in 1973 to advance and protect illustrator’s right and encourage professional standards. It is a non-profit making trade association and members consist primarily of freelance illustrators as well as agents, clients, students and lecturers. As the only body to represent illustrators and campaign for their rights in the UK, the AOI has successfully increased the standing of illustration as a profession and improved the commercial and ethical conditions of employment for illustrators. It was responsible for establishing the right of illustrators to retain ownership of their artwork, helped to establish the secondary rights arm of the Designers and Artists Copyright Society (DACS), the UK visual arts collecting society. In addition, it is a member of the Creators Rights Alliance (CRA) and a founder member of the European Illustrators Forum (EIF)
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION & ILLUSTRATION RESOURCES HERE AT
http://www.theaoi.com
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Edited by award winning art director, writer and design consultant Adrian Shaughnessy.
VAROOM 05 CONTENT
THE IMPORTANCE OF MISTAKES AN INTERVIEW WITH TERRY DOWLING BY ADRIAN SHAUGHNESSY In a revealing and far-ranging interview, Terry Dowling, one of the founding fathers of radical contemporary illustration and a precursor of punk visual style, describes his early failed attempts to get commercial work, and his subsequent rejection of commercial practice in favour of teaching and a life of personal enquiry.
MAPPING THE TERRAIN: ILLUSTRATION FOR CHILDREN BY MARTIN SALISBURY Varoom explores the work of four exponents of the art of illustration for children: Isabelle Vandenabeele Beatrice Alemagna Stian Hole Marc Boutavant
MARIO HUGO – A MODERN ROMANTIC BY MARK WEBSTER New York artist Mario Hugo describes himself as having had ‘a tempestuous affair with illustration.’ But his work is far from tempestuous. It reveals a thoughtful artist, eschewing the hard digital lines of much contemporary expression, in favour of a softer and more humanistic approach.
PAUL FARRINGTON: THE BEAUTY OF THE UNPREDICTABLE BY ANNA GERBER Designer, musician and digital pioneer Paul Farrington moves away from his customary screen based work to undertake a giant installation covering a 196m-long walkway at Imperial College, London. Farrington has left the realm of invisible ones and zeroes and entered the world of scientific discovery, Britney Spears posters and rugby fixtures.
HEATED DEBATE: THE BORROWERS BY ROBERT MASON Heated Debate is a platform for thought-provoking views and a start point for debate. Writers, commentators and practitioners are invited to take a critical and discursive look at imagery and the role of the image-maker in visual culture. Illustrator, writer and tutor Robert Mason looks at the contentious subject of plagiarism and its corrosive effect on the craft of illustration.
THE COMPELLING IMAGE CHOSEN BY GEORGE HARDIE Leading illustrators, designers, artists and commentators are invited to select a compelling image, and explain why it has moved them or given them creative stimulus. The illustrator George Hardie makes a typically robust selection.
A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO PROPAGANDA A VISUAL ESSAY BY NEIL McFARLANE Freelance graphic designer and illustrator Neil McFarlane offers a sharp brained commentary on the modern obsession with spin, hype and propaganda. It’s a manual for wannabe spin doctors.
AN UNWRITTEN DIARY BY RICHARD BEARDS AN ENGLISH ILLUSTRATOR’S PERSPECTIVE, NEW YORK: Despite having a New York agent for 15 years, British illustrator Richard Beards had failed to conquer the great metropolis. In 2006 he decided to move there. For six months Beards observed the NYC scene with a mixture of cool detachment and cinematic-like wonder. While in self-imposed exile he kept a diary and chronicled his time in the ‘greatest city on earth.’
REVIEWS:
CHARLEY HARPER: AN ILLUSTRATED LIFE By Todd Oldham Book reviewed By Derek Brazell
DESIGNERSBLOCK: ILLUSTRATE & ILLUSTRATIVE 07 Exhibition reviewed by Silvia Baumgart
TEKKONKINKREET Directed By Michael Arias Film reviewed By Mitchell Miller
ILLUSTRATION BOOK PRO 1 Introduction By Erik Kessels Book reviewed By Lydia Fulton
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