One of the Island’s most prolific and successful graphic artists is showing off the highlights of the last ten years of her designs, including a remarkable new piece of work. Ryde-based graphic designer Cat James opened her exhibition at the Quay Arts‘ Clayden Gallery on 12 January 2019. The exhibition can be viewed daily until 26 January 2019 with free entry.
Although you may not realise it, you’re probably already familiar with the work of this designer – it may have been driven past you on the back on a bus! Cat works for clients across the Island and beyond through her own company Pinkeye Graphics. Her work is visible on hundreds of shops and businesses, signboards and posters.
Cat trained at the Portsmouth College of Art and Design, and the Isle of Wight College, and has lived on the Island for 28 years. She also works as a graphic designer for the Isle of Wight Council, helping to publicise the authority’s diverse services on leaflets, forms, adverts and even vehicles; from leisure activities to recycling, social care functions to the floating bridge. If you live on the Isle of Wight there’s a good chance some of her work is in your home right now.
Cat’s printed work usually has a deliberately short shelf-life; and most of her artwork is free to see. Works on display at the exhibition are mostly commercial pieces from Cat’s career as a graphic designer, as well as sketch books containing initial ideas. Cat says: “Art galleries are often reserved for the fine arts; cerebral works with big price tags. Most of my work is free to see and is designed to be recycled or even thrown away. I am actually paid to do this – I make my living creating graphic art every day, and you can see my work in almost every part of the Isle of Wight.”
Featured in the show will be images of shop fronts from prominent local businesses, reproductions of bus graphics, leaflets, maps, cards, invitations, posters and much more. Cat has also revealed a stunning new work created especially for this exhibition.
“Colouring in against the clock” Cat James: graphic designer: a retrospective. Open at the Quay Arts Clayden Gallery from 12 to 26 January 2019 Monday to Saturday: 10am to 5pm. Entry is free.
