Umbra Sumus - A5 promo cards

Umbra Sumus - A5 promo cards

Yay!

The A5 promotional postcards for my Solo Show at the end of next month, Umbra Sumus (We Are But Shadows), arrived from the printers this afternoon. And look just as I'd hoped they would!

Another great print job by RCS http://www.rcs.plc.uk/
(They've never let me down thus far, bless 'em)

Now to get them into envelopes, shop windows and café counter-tops...

Twitter Ye Not - The Eiffel Tower

Twitter Ye Not - The Eiffel Tower

A regular piece for the Daily Mail Weekend magazine about how figures in history might have twittered or tweeted or whatever, had they the chance, inclination and technology.

On the 31st March 1889, the gateway to the Universal Exposition in Paris – the Eiffel Tower - opened. Here, we imagine how the controversial structure was received on Twitter.

I have shown two heroes of mine and giants of the Belle Epoque flanking Gustave Eiffel's magnificent structure on the banks of the Seine. À gauche we have author Alexandre Dumas père, with his most famous work, The Three Muskateers, beneath his arm. Like that other great raconteur, gourmand, bon vivant and essayist Peter Ustinov, Dumas had a black grandmother and his mad Larry King hair-do was part of that rich legacy. I have a great tome by Dumas père on Gastromony - a brilliant read.

Facing him is diminutive and aristocratic painter Henri de Toulouse Lautrec, this box of pastels and oil paints in his hand.

Umbra Sumus (We Are But Shadows) #2

Umbra Sumus (We Are But Shadows)
An Exhibition of Work by Mr. Paul Bommer, including Works as yet Un-seen by the World.

My design for the reverse of the A5 promotional postcard!

A Solo Show of Work old & new, including many brand new 'Delftware' tiles inspired by Spitalfields, its history and people.

Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th April 2012
11 am 'til 6 pm
... Private View Friday 27th April 2012
6 pm 'til 9 pm

15 Wilkes-street,
Spitalfields,
London, E1 6QF

Nearest tube: Liverpool-street

http://spitalfieldslife.com/
RSVP: paul@paulbommer.com

Umbra Sumus (We Are But Shadows)

Umbra Sumus (We Are But Shadows)
An Exhibition of Work by Mr. Paul Bommer, including Works as yet Un-seen by the World.

A Solo Show of Work old & new, including many brand new 'Delftware' tiles inspired by Spitalfields, its history and people.

Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th April 2012
11 am 'til 6 pm
... Private View Friday 27th April 2012
6 pm 'til 9 pm

15 Wilkes-street,
Spitalfields,
London, E1 6QF

Nearest tube: Liverpool-street

http://spitalfieldslife.com/

Twitter Ye Not - The Great Escape

Twitter Ye Not - The Great Escape

A regular piece for the Daily Mail Weekend magazine about how figures in history might have twittered or tweeted or whatever, had they the chance, inclination and technology.

During the night of March 24th 1944, 76 men broke out of the German prisoner of war camp, Stalag Luft III. Their audacious escape would later be immortalized in the film, The Great Escape – but here, we imagine the more immediate reaction on Twitter.

I have shown two of the actors from the film, Richard 'Dickie' Attenborough (now Sir Richard) and king of cool (now brown bread) Steve McQueen. Between the two men is the gymnastic vaulting horse beneath which tunnelling was carried out. Both men are discreetly dropping the dug earth onto the exercise yard.

Hollywood took quite a few liberties with the story - there were no Americans involved, and no motorcycle! Never let the truth get in the way of a good story...

Twitter Ye Not - Tolpuddle Martyrs

Twitter Ye Not - Tolpuddle Martyrs

A regular piece for the Daily Mail Weekend magazine about how figures in history might have twittered or tweeted or whatever, had they the chance, inclination and technology.

On St Patrick's weekend in 1834, six agricultural labourers from a small village in Dorset were found guilty of swearing an oath to a trade union and sentenced to transportation to Australia. Here, we imagine the reaction on Twitter to the fate of those Tolpuddle Martyrs.

I have shown two of the six 'martyrs' - their leader James Loveless and James Hammett. No comtemporary images survive of Hammett so I used a woodcut of fellow martyr James Brine as the inspiration. Loveless holds a spade and both men are restrained by ball-and-chains. They are surrounded by broken rock, part of their gruelling punishment in Botany Bay.

Twitter Ye Not - Alexander Graham Bell

Twitter Ye Not - Alexander Graham Bell

A regular piece for the Daily Mail Weekend magazine about how figures in history might have twittered or tweeted or whatever, had they the chance, inclination and technology.

On 10 March 1876, Alexander Graham Bell asked his assistant, Mr Watson, to “come here, I want to see you.” That Thomas A Watson was in the next room at the time and that Bell addressed him through a transmitter has made this rather mundane request the first telephone call in history. Here, we imagine how Twitter reacted to that call.

I have shown Bell and Watson facing each other, a little closer than they were for that first telephone call. But not much. Between them is a wood-burning stove, because I imagine it was cold.

A great invention that has led to idiots needlessly gabbering at the top of their voices on buses, in restaurants and in cinemas. Thanks Alec! Grrrr!