"The City" By FRANS MASEREEL (Published in the UK by Redstone Press, London 1988 - originally published by Kurt Wolff Verlag, Munich 1925 as "DIE STADT") Part 3

 

I have finally managed to find time to complete this post on the Belgian artist, Frans Masereel (1889-1972). Masereel was one of the most important and influential graphic artists of the first half of the 20th century. His woodcuts, charged with social and political observations from the years between the two world wars, were an inspiration for future artists like Lynd Ward and Eric Drooker from the US and Clifford Harper. Here's the Wikipedia link on his biography: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frans_Masereel

 

 

Here is an excerpt from Marina Warner's introduction in this book:

"Masereel's city was Paris: he was living there when he made the woodcuts for the book, on the Butte de Montmartre, but he had come there from Ghent, via Berlin, and the excitements and the horrors of the German capital in the Twenties inform the witness he bears in THE CITY. It was however Paris that he had epitomised, since the 19th century, the special character of modern life, the frenzy of urban existence, the new tumultuous conglomeration of the masses."

I could have chosen any of the 100 woodcuts of this book - the are all brilliant in detail, composition and craftsmanship while displaying the horrors and drama Europe was going through during those years. The image below is the artist's self-portrait from 1923.

"The City" By FRANS MASEREEL (Published in the UK by Redstone Press, London 1988 - originally published by Kurt Wolff Verlag, Munich 1925 as "DIE STADT") Part 2

 

 

 

"The City" By FRANS MASEREEL (Published in the UK by Redstone Press, London 1988 - originally published by Kurt Wolff Verlag, Munich 1925 as "DIE STADT") Part 1

 

 

"The Virago Book Of Fairy Tales", edited by Angela Carter, illustrations by Corinna Sargood (publ. by Virago Press Ltd, London 1991) Part 3

 

I tried to scan some of the head lettering at the start of each story - I just love the way she incorporates a little narrative from the story into the typeface! Also a couple more  bizarre and funny spot illustrations.

Finally, here's Corinna Sargood herself on a youtube video, describing one of her recent pictures! It's fascinating to watch, as she unravels details of more and more scenes within the main picture (some of them painted on separate panels attached to it!) while telling the stories behind them...   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPMUbGjVu64

 

 

 

 

 

"The Virago Book Of Fairy Tales", edited by Angela Carter, illustrations by Corinna Sargood (publ. by Virago Press Ltd, London 1991) Part 2

 

 Corinna Sargood's work has been my inspiration ever since I saw it some twenty years ago. It's got mystery, humour, it's subversive, intelligent and, despite having some folkloric references, it is quite unique! The figures that remind me of shadow puppet theatre figurines submerge into surreal landscapes, turn into strange animals or birds and are always mischievous.

Sargood (born in Britain in 1941) went on to illustrate Angela Carter's Second Virago Book Of Fairy Tales, published in 1992. I've posted pictures from that book about four years ago - here's the link: http://picturesfromanoldbook.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/second-virago-book-of-fairy-tales.html

 

 

"The Virago Book Of Fairy Tales", edited by Angela Carter, illustrations by Corinna Sargood (publ. by Virago Press Ltd, London 1991)

 

 

A Galaxy Of Poems Old And New (published by Longmans, Green and Co, 1962)

There are more than twenty of these fascinating little woodcuts in this book. Some are almost abstract and some naive. It does require a closer look to take in and appreciate the shapes and rhythm within each piece. I have to post some more in the future. I've never come accross Edward Nolan's work before and found no information on the internet but I do hope to see some of his work in the flesh one day - maybe even buy some... Meanwhile this book represents the best 50p I've ever spent.