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https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2024/jan/20/family-of-discworld-illustrator-josh-kirby-seek-wealthy-patron-to-conserve-legacy-of-one-of-the-great-artists-of-our-time>
"Josh Kirby’s art has adorned hundreds of book covers – perhaps most notably
dozens of Terry Pratchett novels, especially the bestselling
Discworld
series.
His body of work is far more wide-ranging, though – Kirby’s paintings have
graced the covers of volumes by Ray Bradbury, Ian Fleming, HG Wells, Jack
Kerouac, Herman Melville and Neil Gaiman, and he’s done posters for movies
including the
Star Wars franchise.
Now the family of the artist, who died in 2001, is looking for a philanthropist
of the arts to keep the vast collection of original paintings together and make
sure Kirby’s original artworks are preserved for posterity in one or more
museums or galleries.
Rob Liano, representing the Kirby estate, said: “There are roughly 400 finished
paintings but also a couple of hundred sketches of various media, ranging from
detailed gouache renditions to pencil and pen sketches. It’s a vast collection
spanning seven decades and a beautiful narrative of Josh’s workflow, creative
process and artistry.
“Our goal is to increase and prolong Josh’s legacy, whether through a
foundation or scholarship in his honour, expanding the product line, increased
publicity and continuing to expose his works to gain more recognition for his
impact on the art world – and that takes funding.”
Whoever takes on the project will need fairly deep pockets. “It would have to
be somewhere in seven figures,” says Liano."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
