15_Photography_Art & Design LSB 02/05/2017 11:15 Page 15
State Of The Nation: Photography & Image Art
Picture Stories The world of photographic licensing has really opened up recently and covers the entire spectrum, from extreme macro to animal selfies – and everything in-between! Up close and personal Rinekwall gets up close and personal with stimulants, pain relievers, and antioxidants. The Microcrystal Collection, a collaboration with renowned scientist and artist Lee Hendrickson, brings caffeine, citric acid, sweetener, medication, and cabernet sauvignon under the microscope. Years of scientific research did not keep Hendrickson in the lab. Instead it liberated him. He and his beloved petri dishes and laboratory coat found their way into the art world. There he discovered a new frontier. Hendrickson, always the scientist, is now a celebrated artist as well. His photographs of household items in crystalized form have won awards and are placed in many influential galleries and collections. Rinekwall takes Hendrickson’s art in a new direction, creating endlessly repeating designs that can be translated onto any substrate, product, or architectural element. Right: Beautiful patterns form under the microscope
I love ewe One of the trending images at Ardea Picture Library is its heart shaped ewe which has been very popular for greetings cards and merchandise. The original image was a heart shaped sheep with pink wool, but due to its popularity, the image is now available in a whole series of seasonal variations including Christmas, Halloween, Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day.“It’s hard to tell exactly why some images are successful, but something which is a little bit quirky or different always tends to sell well as it stands out both to clients and customers,” says Paul Brown, managing director at Ardea Picture Library.“Add to that the positive messaging of the heart, love and a potential jokey caption such ‘I love ewe’ and you have a winner.” Above: There’s a heart-shaped sheep for every occasion!
Going local Photographer Assaf Frank is well known in the licensing industry for his striking high quality photographic images for use on prints and products, such as napkins, jigsaws, greetings and calendars. He works closely with manufacturers and publishers to create exclusive seasonal collections and has work his taken him all over the world. But most recently he has been exploring his home country of the UK. “Over the past year I have found there is a growing trend for regional photographs. Although London, Paris, New York and Venice will always sell well, consumers are looking for images they can relate to from their local area or from a holiday destination. I am increasingly asked to visit locations around the UK. Since Brexit, the British tourist industry seems to be booming meaning there is an increase in demand for beautiful images from across the country. I recently visited North Wales to photograph Llandudno and Conwy castle. This area of the country is wonderful for photography with stunning coastlines and the Snowdonia National Park."
Fancy that?! Mary Evans Picture Library has recently added a selection of stunning illustrations taken from original 1920s fancy dress catalogues published by Weldon’s and Leach’s. The dazzling, and often topical designs, are typical of the whimsical taste for fancy dress costume during the decade and range from more traditional suggestions such as clowns and witches to those verging on the surreal. The catalogue covers are particularly striking and, together with the interior pages of endless costume ideas, are a quirky vintage choice for stationery such as greeting cards and invitations, or party-themed giftware. Above: Fancy dress in the 1920s was dazzling and colourful
Animal Selfies in the Licensing Awards Howard Robinson’s Selfies is a finalist in the LIMA International Licensing Awards, with the winners announced at the Licensing Expo in Las Vegas at the end of May. Howard’s Selfies range is a collection of adorable images of the animal kingdom enthusiastically joining into the worldwide craze for taking selfies. There are now 34 licensing partners across the UK, USA, Canada, Russia, Poland, France, New Zealand, Turkey and Denmark producing over 600 Selfies items for across 86 product categories. Below: Howard Robison’s animal selfies have caught on around the world.
Left: Llandudno Pier in North Wales photographed by Assaf Frank
Art&Design Licensing Source Book 15