interview with an illustrator
Ian Murray
The knitting needle
collector with OCD
tend encies tells us
what inspires his
highly original work . . .
u SB What drew you to illustration? Ian: Drawing, creating
and making have been the only vocationally activities I have
ever had the inclination to pursue. The externally imposed
restrictions of design and illustration have always appealed to
me. u SB Do you have any formal design training? Ian: Yes a
BA in Graphic Design and Illustration at Kingston Polytechnic
and an MA in Communication Design from Manchester
Metropolitan University. u SB Where are you from originally?
Ian: Liverpool.u SB Where do you live now and what drew you
there? Ian: Stockport near Manchester. Schools, friends and
family have informed our decisions to settle here. u SB What
is your biggest inspiration? Ian: Music and a large digital photo
frame which cycles through hundreds of inspiring images. u SB
Do you collect anything? Ian: Too much, which is at odds with
my obsessive tidiness. 1950s ceramics, knitting needles (totally
irrational collection) and Post War Furniture. u SB Do you keep
scrapbooks? Ian: Yes for about 28 years now. They are a great
barometer of your influences, obsessions and interests across
the years. u SB Tell us about a favorite recent project. Ian: I did
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