The V&A announces the nominees of its annual illustration prize, largely opting for painterly works with a handmade feel rather than bold colours and vectors.
Architecture from Aldous Huxley’s dystopian novel Brave New World, a portrait of Ryan Gosling and his blow-up doll girlfriend from film Lars and the Real Girl and an intricately crafted paper-cut skull are among the fourteen works nominated for the V&A Museum’s Illustration Awards 2014. The shortlist, which was announced this week, comprises of three categories (Book Illustration, Book Cover Illustration and Editorial Illustration) and was selected by The Telegraph Group artistic director Gary Cochran, Profile Books artistic director Peter Dyer and Moira Gemmill, the director of design at the V&A.
Many of the works chosen this year have a fine art feel: visible brushstrokes, watercolours, and handmade, irregular marks are all in vogue, as apposed to a more graphic approach seen in recent years. The nominees for the main sections include Benjamin Parker for The Little General, Yasmeen Ismail for Time for Bed, Fred!, Finn Dean for Brave New World, Anne-Marie Jones for Sons and Lovers, Petra Borner for The Saga of the Volsungs, Vincent Burgeon for There Once Lived a Girl Who Seduced Her Sister’s Husband, Matthew Richardson for The Perfect Swarm, Helen Musselwhite for Ten Myths about Creativity and Paul Wearing for Le Bon Produit.
The main prize will also be accompanied by a separate Student Award category, judged by illustrators Leah Fusco and James Nunn. On the shortlist is Melissa Sinclair for Lars and the Real Girl, Grace Alexandra Russell for The Wild Places, Keith Hau for The River, Rachel Edwards for Mythical Creatures and Vivien Chan for London Fashion ScoutAW13.
The chosen illustrator from each category will be awarded £2000 and the overall winner will also scoop up a further £2000 prize. The results will be announced at the Illustration Awards Ceremony at the V&A, held on 2 June 2014. This will be followed by an exhibition of the winners’ work at the V&A’s National Art Library until 3 July.
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