The Greatest Show on Earth goes to the Gallery on the Corner a video.

Drawn Chorus Collective, video by Adam Alexander Clague.

The Greatest Show on Earth!

One of the things I've been up to recently was a show with The Drawn Chorus Collective.

The Greatest show on Earth featured the illustrative imaginings of all the greatest circuses, freak shows and fairs in literature have to offer. 
The circus has been delighting and enthralling audiences for centuries, and with Angela Carter through to Dr. Seuss, Drawn Chorus drew excited crowds into a world of enchantment and wonder. 

“The Greatest Show on Earth” was a collaborative exhibition between seasoned illustrators and new illustrative talent. Displayed at The Gallery on the Corner, the show ran from the 18th to the 23rd of September 2013!

(The show is also now on tour- to see the works for yourself come on down to the Mills Centre! For more info check out our facebook event.)

Invite

The gang

The pop up shop

                    Lino lion toy (more photos coming soon!) and Dynamo dog lino print and temporary tattoo                                            

Window display and my acrobat for the display

Sir Bopps, Sir Hawkins, Sir Jawks and Sir Hector- Collage

Based on Seuss's "If I ran the circus".

If I ran the circus- through horn jumping deer, whole pic (which I'll update once I can get a better photo...) and closeup.

Among the Wonderful- The Whale propelled them both with long slow vertical sweeps of its tail

Lino print

Among the Wonderful- A single night buoyed by some charged current.

Lino print

For more images of the other fab works at the show check out our album!

Mad Gardener's song.

He thought he saw an Elephant,

That practised on a fife:

He looked again, and found it was

A letter from his wife.

'At length I realise,' he said,

'The bitterness of Life!'

He thought he saw a Buffalo
Upon the chimney-piece:
He looked again, and found it was
His Sister's Husband's Niece.
'Unless you leave this house,' he said,
'I'll send for the Police!'

He thought he saw a Rattlesnake
That questioned him in Greek:
He looked again, and found it was
The Middle of Next Week.
'The one thing I regret,' he said,
'Is that it cannot speak!'

He thought he saw a Banker's Clerk

Descending from the bus:

He looked again, and found it was

A Hippopotamus.

'If this should stay to dine,' he said,

'There won't be much for us!'

He thought he saw a Kangaroo

That worked a coffee-mill:

He looked again, and found it was

A Vegetable-Pill.

'Were I to swallow this,' he said,

'I should be very ill!'

He thought he saw a Coach-and-Four

That stood beside his bed:

He looked again, and found it was

A Bear without a Head.

'Poor thing,' he said, 'poor silly thing!

It's waiting to be fed!'

He thought he saw an Albatross

That fluttered round the lamp:

He looked again, and found it was

A Penny-Postage Stamp.

'You'd best be getting home,' he said:

'The nights are very damp!'

He thought he saw a Garden-Door

That opened with a key:

He looked again, and found it was

A Double Rule of Three:

'And all its mystery,' he said,

'Is clear as day to me!'

He thought he saw a Argument

That proved he was the Pope:

He looked again, and found it was

A Bar of Mottled Soap.

'A fact so dread,' he faintly said,

'Extinguishes all hope!'

................................................

`Oh, I've had such a curious dream!' said Alice, and she told her sister, as well as she could remember them, all these strange Adventures of hers that you have just been reading about; and when she had finished, her sister kissed her, and said, `It was a curious dream, dear, certainly: but now run in to your tea; it's getting late.' So Alice got up and ran off, thinking while she ran, as well she might, what a wonderful dream it had been.

Curiouser and Curiouser is over and went very well. Thanks to everyone who visited (or featured us on their sites/blogs), it was very much appreciated, and hopefully see you all at the next show we put together (it's already in the works)!

If you missed the actual show, and would like to see photos, please feel free to take a look on our event page: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.196875427121914.50668.150609878415136&type=1&comment_id=695681&notif_t=photo_album_comment

We will also soon be setting up a Facebook page for our collective.

Thank you once again for all your support.

If you'd like to buy any of the works from the show please take a look at the artwork page of the website.

How Doth the Little Crocodile.

How doth the little crocodile

Improve his shining tail,

And pour the waters of the Nile

On every golden scale!

How cheerfully he seems to grin,

How neatly spreads his claws,

And welcomes little fishes in

With gently smiling jaws!

Seven Colour lino-print for "Curiouser and Curiouser". 

Private view photos!

It was the private view of the exhibition I'm in yesterday, "Curiouser and Curiouser", complete with Mad Hatter's tea party! (If you missed it the exhibition runs until Wednesday so you still have time to catch it!) It all went really well and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. There were even a few sales which is brilliant!

Here is the flamingo cake I made for the tea party.

"How Doth the Little Crocodile."

Me and my work!

My lino wall.

My collage wall.

Eileen Kwan and her beautiful original pencil drawings.

Amber Cooper-Davies's lovely paper cuts.

Alex Moore's bold graphic prints.

Andrew Baker's fab typographic poster.

Cathy Kwan's psychedelic tea party.

Emma Block's delicate nostalgic Alice.

Martin Ursell's colourful comic book approach to the Jabberwocky.

The window display Eileen and I put together with contributions from most of the artists exhibiting!

And finally the cake being cut!

There are tonnes more wonderful artists in the show (too many to put in this post!) but if you'd like to see them, and more of the works here. Please pop in to the Curious Duke Gallery before the 30th of Jan and take a look. All work is for sale!