'Louts, Love and London' is the latest exhibition by students and staff of the Illustration course at Middlesex University. On show at the Poetry Café in London's Covent Garden, the works are inspired by the gritty, realist literature published by London Books in the 1930s – tales of the triumphs and struggles of the working class by authors such as James Curtis and Simon Blumenfeld.
The artists spent time exploring London and its surrounds, travelling to locations described in the books and drawing their impressions. The result is an atmospheric, lively collection of images that complement and illuminate the stories that inspired them.
"I illustrated They Drive By Night by James Curtis, and selected the first chapter's scene where the waiters sweep the all-night café's floor while smoking," says Middlesex Illustration student Sachiko Oguri, who hails from Japan. "It has been a great experience and I'm so pleased to have my work showcased in central London at the Poetry Café, which always has an amazing atmosphere."
This is the third time staff and students from Middlesex University have exhibited at the Poetry Café; previous exhibitions include 'Happy Birthday Edward Lear', which toured nationally.
Image credits: Top, Salome Papadopoullos. Left to right, Dervla Leonard, Elliot Steele; Amy Laker; Sachiko Oguri.
