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Saturday, August 30, 2014

For The Birds

Searle may be famous for his cats and to a lesser degree his dogs but he was also partial to drawing birds. He even depicted the eponymous avian mascot of Penguin books wearing a mask with the likeness of the artist. Perhaps he identified with this flightless and somewhat hopeless creature?

'The Outsider' 1977
Karikatur Museum, Krems





'The Clown' Uncorrected color lithographic proof on wove paper, 1970s. Published by Michel Cassé for Editions RS, Paris. Regular edition 99.




'The Stranger' Uncorrected color lithographic proof on wove paper, 1970s. Published by Michel Cassé for Editions RS, Paris.





"CRETINOUS OWL UTTERLY CONVINCED THAT IT IS REVERED AS A SYMBOL OF WISDOM"








'Perpetual Motion'




'Mozarteen Birds' 1988
From Attempted Bloggery












'The Flight' 
Uncorrected color lithographic proof on wove paper, 1978. Published by Michel Cassé, Paris. Titled in pencil by the artist and notated “!st Colour Proof, Rec’d 22 July ‘78”. Regular edition 99.


Unpublished 'New Yorker' cover



'Owls' from the Wilhelm Busch Museum fir Karikatur, Hanover. If I remember correctly the owl represents Searle's second wife, Monica.





'Punch' cover 9th May,1962








2 comments:

docnad said...

Nice selection, Matt. Searle's birds tend to make me deliriously happy!

illustrationISM.... said...

I could look at his
illustrations all day!
GREAT 'flock' of illy's!