Don't be sad

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 | By Laura Snoad

‘Visual jollification’ is not something often promised from those punting upcoming exhibitions. But Don’t Be Sad, a show from a collective of 15 naïve illustrators opening at Bristol’s Here Gallery this weekend, swears to provide just that.

The collective is formed from a tight-knit group of recent graduates from the Bath School of Art and Design, who were united by their desire to experiment beyond their graphics backgrounds, says illustrator Ben Galea (aka Fingerfood).

He says, ‘Coming from a graphics environment, we have a varied output that unites contrasting skills and interests. It’s something we feel makes us dynamic.’

The exhibition, which is made up of drawing, printmaking, typography and craft, is tied together by a common desire among the illustrators to make viewers smile, often through the work’s sheer bizarreness.

Jasper Dunk’s threatening masked attackers are incongruently clad in fluorescent Fair Isle jumpers - just like your mad nan would knit - whereas Andrew Joyce’s cityscapes look like what would happen if you attempted to made the set of Captain Scarlet out of wine gums.

If next week’s budget leaves you feeling a little down in the dumps and you’re in the Bristol area, head to Here Gallery to lighten your mood.

Don’t Be Sad runs from 18- 28 June at Here Gallery, 108 Stokes Croft, Bristol, BS1 3RU.