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The John Burningham Collection
- Author: John Burningham
- Category: Fiction Graphic / Illustrated
- Publisher: Jonathan Cape
- Pub date: 7 May 2009
- Length: 223 pages
About The John Burningham Collection
One of the greatest book illustrators of the century
- Raymond Briggs
JOHN BURNINGHAM is a celebration of an extraordinary life in illustration. It traces the development of the artist from early childhood drawings and experiences through to the creative explosion of art school and beyond, bringing us to the publication of John’s first book for children, BORKA: THE ADVENTURES OF A GOOSE WITH NO FEATHERS, in 1963. BORKA, and the books that followed, have redefined their genre. The unforgettable characters and stories have entranced children all over the world for four decades.
Alongside the books for children there are further treats - posters for London Transport, magazine covers and a lamp in the form of a tower block are just some of those featured here. And there are the books for adults that also reveal a witty and perceptive artist: on a trip around the world in eighty days, or in the affectionate skewering of both England and France, or in the more recent tributes to both childhood and old age.
Told in his own words, and featuring a foreword by Maurice Sendak and an introduction by the critic, Brian Alderson, JOHN BURNINGHAM is an indespensible guide to one of the defining illustrators of our time.
About the Author
John Burningham is one of the UK’s most distinguished illustrators whose appeal is recognized the world over. Born in 1936, he attended the alternative education establishment, Summerhill, in Suffolk, where lessons are not compulsory. At 17, he became a conscientious objector, and avoided military service by joining the Friends Ambulance Unit. After this he did forestry work, farming, slum clearance, school building in Southern Italy and demolition work in Israel. He went to the Central School of Art in London in 1956, graduating in 1959 with a National Diploma in Design, as well as the School’s own Diploma. Unsure of his future, he returned to Israel where he worked on models and puppets for a film company until his return to England in the autumn of 1960 when his life as an illustrator began. He created posters for London Transport, drew cartoons for magazines and made Christmas card designs until the publication of his first book in 1963. He has won the Kate Greenaway medal twice. He is married to Helen Oxenbury, another popular children’s illustrator.