In Memory of The Future
“Far Out is never far enough because one challenge, if it is worthy at all, has to be followed by a greater challenge.”
- Tomi Ungerer
Hi friends, it’s been a while! I can’t believe it has nearly been a year since my last post. This year has flown by! I haven’t been posting much on social media either as I wanted to take a break from the pressures of sharing work, or having to create work for social media content. It takes a lot of time to do this, and instead I wanted to devote time to both me, and my client work. I’ve worked on some really lovely projects so far this year, and one of them was for the Tomi Ungerer and Illustrators Ireland exhibition ‘In Memory of The Future.’ Several months ago I was asked to design all the graphics for the exhibition - a task which I had always wanted to put my hand to. I’ve been to many exhibitions and was always intrigued by the design aesthetic of the spaces. I now had an opportunity to create my own exhibition designs and I was more than happy to accept the challenge!
The first consideration for the exhibition poster was - what will the main image be? Ungerer is best know for his children’s book ‘Moon Man,’ and I did think that maybe it was too obvious a choice. However for a poster design, I felt it was the perfect choice. It’s bold, bright and fun - it has all the hallmarks of Ungerer’s absurd personality and style. I wanted a strong image for the poster, and this was it! I studied Ungerer’s work closely, especially his work from the 1960s and 1970s. I always love a vintage aesthetic, so I decided to opt for this approach. I created a frame for the artwork, much like the frame one sees in his children’s books. I also hand lettered the title of the show in Ungerer’s inimitable cursive style.
Above you’ll see one of my mood boards I created for inspiration, which shows Ungerer’s work, writing style, and the style of poster I wanted to create. The frame border is a particularly prominent component of his work especially during this time.
I also designed the information boards for the show. I continued with the style of the poster, and used the background colour for the logo banner. I added the illustrated frame to one image on each board to create an emphasis on the main picture, and to also add a bit of fun to the design too. As the show will be travelling to Cultúrlann venues in Belfast and Paris, I had to consider space for both the English and Irish translations of the text. I loved this extra challenge to the design layout, and it proved an interesting little puzzle to solve.
As well as designing the exhibition graphics, artist statements, and templates for the artwork, I also submitted a piece for the show! Over 50 members of Illustrators Ireland created an illustration inspired by their favourite Ungerer piece. I chose Ungerer’s 1967 children’s book ‘Zeralda’s Ogre’ as my inspiration. Here’s my artists’ statement:
“When I first read 'Zeralda's Ogre' I was drawn deeply into the story by Tomi's incredible wit, whimsy, and mischievousness. The tale begins with the menacing reality of an Ogre with an insatiable appetite - one which is quelled only by eating little children, or so it seems. Along comes Zeralda, a little girl who is unaware of the Ogre's deadly food preferences. Zeralda achieves a miracle - by offering the Ogre her famous culinary dishes, he discovers that he no longer craves a platter of children, but instead he devours platters of the most delicious meals Zeralda can cook.
I love drawing food, especially imaginative food concepts. The humour and fantasy Tomi infused within Zeralda's menu instantly excited me - I just had to draw them. Who can resist a plate of ‘Roast Turkey a la Cinderella,’ ‘Sauerkraut and Sausage Stew’ or a slice of ‘Ogre’s Delight?’ I also added a few dishes of my own fancy, such as ‘Veal and Dodo Egg Quiche’ - a meal which an Ogre would find quite appealing I reckon!”
Above you’ll see my final piece, along with my artist statement and Ungerer’s reference image. I hope I managed to capture some of Ungerer’s charming wit and flair within my own illustration. The exhibition runs until the end of September 2023 at the DLR LexIcon Library, before it goes on the road again! Do call in for a visit, and I hope you discover your own favourite Tomi Ungerer piece - there’s plenty to choose from! ~ Rachel x