By Emily Gosling

Known for his iconic linocuts of London cityscapes and London Transport posters, printmaker and illustrator Paul Catherall is to have his largest exhibition yet at the Oxo Tower, London next month.

It seems like the perfect setting for Catherall. He says, ‘The location of the Oxo Tower is great. It just suits the work because of the location.’

With around 30 prints in the show, he adds, ‘it will include a bit of everything.’

Heavily influenced by Modernist design, he cites Edward McKnight Kauffer, an American/British designer who was known for his London Transport posters and his iconic poster design for American Airlines.

However, Catherall’s newer work, born from a partnership with law firm Pinsent Masons, has begun to move away from the bright transport posters.

Based on views from the law firm’s offices by London’s Liverpool Street, Catherall says, ‘I have been moving forward with my work, the views from Pinsent Masons are not abstract as such, but they are more of an experimentation.

‘I am usually known for my flat colour but these are more broken up. I want people to see the image, not just the colours.’

Having worked in London since 1989, you might think Catherall has had his work cut out to keep up with London’s ever-changing skyline.

However, he says, ‘The prints are of their time. I don’t feel that I necessarily have to go and redo a view if the skyline has changed. And the number of cranes in view actually help as a design tool, they act as markers.’

Entirely handmade, each linocut can take up to a month to produce.

The exhibition also features commissions that will be available to purchase for the first time, such as limited edition prints of Catherall’s  Transport for London commissions and a selection of his Penguin book covers (for George Orwell’s Down and Out in Paris and London and George Dyson’s Turing’s Cathedral).

Paul Catherall at Gallery@Oxo will run from 1 May – 19 May at Oxo Tower Wharf, Barge House St, South Bank, London SE1.

Read the full article at Design Week