The House of Illustration
The creative establishment’s invisible
hierarchy may favour fine art, ballet and
opera, but illustration will no longer be
treated like the ugly duckling thanks to a
wonderful new gallery proposed for central
London. Garrick Webster reports...
For those in the know, the world of illustration is a fascinating planet
to inhabit. Pop-up shows and exhibitions featuring the newest trends
and talent go on nearly every week. Recent group shows in the UK have
celebrated everything from futurism to fixed wheel bikes. The trouble
is you often need to look in the right nooks and crannies to find these
intriguing events which usually include free Cobra beer. There isn’t a UK
gallery devoted entirely to illustration.
Gemini by Grahame Baker Smith
The House of Illustration is a project aiming to change all that. If
their bold scheme goes through, Autumn 2012 will see the opening
of an incredible facility that puts illustration in all its forms at centre
stage. “It’s really important because illustration is an art form which is
everywhere and it’s part of all of our lives,” says project director Flora
Craig. “It’s something that’s very accessible, but it’s also got a very rich
history and it’s something that we really want to celebrate.”
The proposed site is part of the Kings Cross St Pancras redevelopment
– an 1850 building offering about 1000 square metres and appropriately
named Regeneration House. Once the offices of Great Northern Railway,
it may well be reborn as the UK’s most important gallery of applied art.
Just getting the HoI to bricks and mortar stage was no mean feat. The
project has been going for eight years and was initiated by the great
Quentin Blake and a group of his friends. What was once no more than
a mission statement and a web page, soon became a registered charity
with a board of trustees. Flora Craig joined in 2007 and now there’s
a five-strong team with a very credible outline of what the House of
Illustration will be.
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