Hasta La Ideas

Newly launched fine art publishers wire-frame has released its first batch of prints, including work by David Pelham as used on covers of JG Ballard’s novels and perhaps his most famous piece of design, for Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange…

Pelham’s painting, The Terminal Beach (above right), is a forthcoming print in the series but currently the site has prints of his work for Burgess’ novel, A Clockwork Orange, and of his painting, The Drought, up on wire-frame.net. Also available are pieces by Brian Aldiss (Metropolis, shown below) and Brigis Marlin.

Pelham’s cover art for A Clockwork Orange

Pelham discusses his work on A Clockwork Orange and on four of JG Ballard’s novels in Penguin by Designers – the full extract of Pelham’s chapter is on the CR blog, here, but here’s what he had to say about his Ballard paintings:

“I met Jim Ballard through Eduardo Paolozzi,” he writes. “They were great friends. I was very familiar with Ballard’s work, having been a great admirer from way back. I admired the bleak style of his catastrophe novels – this being The Drought – and their heartless depiction of technological and human breakdown and decay. Grim perhaps, but wonderfully written. Drawn to the romance of his apocalyptic imagery I wanted to illustrate his covers myself. Consequently I quickly airbrushed this postcard sized image [of what went on to become the painting for The Drought] to show him the idea and talked to him about his other titles in the list. That’s how we started out ….”

(His high pressure story behind the Burgess cover is also fascinating – and detailed. Read it here.)

Pelham’s painting, The Drought, as used on Ballard’s novel

Forthcoming from wire-frame is a print of Pelham’s painting, The Drowned World, again used on Ballard’s novel of the same name

Each print is on matt 310gsm fine art paper and uses pigment-based lightfast inks. They are individually signed and numbered by the artist (and include an accompanying certificate of authenticity). Further prints by these and other artists are set to be released by wire-frame soon. More at wire-frame.net.

Metropolis by Brian Aldiss