Book Illustration
1979 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This illustration for In Granny's Pond shows a combination of intense realism and surrealism which characterises Mike Wilks' work. This is the second book illustrated by Wilks, published in 1980. Crammed full of birds and animals it is reminiscent of his work in the puzzle book The Ultimate Alphabet.
Born in 1947, Mike Wilks studied the Flemish Renaissance at art school. The intense realism of Jan Van Eyck, Rogier Van der Weyden and Hans Memling, the fantastical darker world of Pieter Breughel and surrealist edge of Hieronymus Bosch can all be seen in Wilks' work. It comes as no surprise to learn that he is also inspired by the surrealists and artists like Maurits Escher. He sometimes uses pen and ink, but works mainly in acrylic and gouache, producing work of poster-like intensity and colour.
Born in 1947, Mike Wilks studied the Flemish Renaissance at art school. The intense realism of Jan Van Eyck, Rogier Van der Weyden and Hans Memling, the fantastical darker world of Pieter Breughel and surrealist edge of Hieronymus Bosch can all be seen in Wilks' work. It comes as no surprise to learn that he is also inspired by the surrealists and artists like Maurits Escher. He sometimes uses pen and ink, but works mainly in acrylic and gouache, producing work of poster-like intensity and colour.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Poster colour on paper |
| Brief description | Book illustration to In Granny's Garden, illustration of a dinosaur in a pond, and other animals, by Mike Wilks, in poster colour on paper, 1979. |
| Physical description | Painting of a boy wearing a school blazer and red scarf sailing his toy yacht in a pond. The foot of a dinosaur is visible as it steps into the pond and his face is shown in reflection. Numerous plants and animals surround the pond. The artist's monogram and date has been 'scratched' on a log to the lower left of the image and a penknife with the artist's name is stuck into the same log. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | MW79 (lower left of image, scratched into a log; painted; poster colour) |
| Credit line | Given by the artist |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This illustration for In Granny's Pond shows a combination of intense realism and surrealism which characterises Mike Wilks' work. This is the second book illustrated by Wilks, published in 1980. Crammed full of birds and animals it is reminiscent of his work in the puzzle book The Ultimate Alphabet. Born in 1947, Mike Wilks studied the Flemish Renaissance at art school. The intense realism of Jan Van Eyck, Rogier Van der Weyden and Hans Memling, the fantastical darker world of Pieter Breughel and surrealist edge of Hieronymus Bosch can all be seen in Wilks' work. It comes as no surprise to learn that he is also inspired by the surrealists and artists like Maurits Escher. He sometimes uses pen and ink, but works mainly in acrylic and gouache, producing work of poster-like intensity and colour. |
| Bibliographic reference | Harrison, Sarah. In Granny's Garden. Holt, Reinhart & Winston, 1980.
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.3205-1980 |
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| Record created | January 7, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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