Paul Catherall's graphic city llustrations at For Arts Sake

Hoover Grey, 2017

(Image credit: Paul Catherall)

last updated 8 August 2022

Printmaker and one-time Wallpaper* cover artist Paul Catherall is no stranger to hard work. Each one of his architectural prints takes around six weeks to complete – and there are dozens of them in a bountiful new selling exhibition at London’s For Arts Sake gallery.

‘The process is pretty laborious,’ Catherall explains. ‘I draw up initial designs on tracing paper, refining the compositions for days at a time.’ When he's finally happy, Catherall paints a gouache colour sketch to see which palette might work. Then, he traces the design in pencil onto linoleum – the same kind found on kitchen floors – before transferring it with woodcut tools onto specialist Swiss-made lino, ready for printing, one colour at a time.

‘I like the mix of creativity (the design, the drawing) and also the labour-intensive aspect of making a print,’ Catherall explains. ‘It’s a pretty traditional, step-by-step process, all done by hand. It demands patience, which I’ve learned over time.’

Though Catherall continues to hone his printmaking skills today, his passion for architecture dates back to his childhood. Catherall grew up in Coventry, where time capsules of post-war architecture sprawl across the city in concrete clusters. ‘It was a slow realisation. On moving to London in the late 80s, places like the National Theatre, the Barbican and Elephant & Castle Shopping Centre felt familiar. They packed a bit of a nostalgic punch for me.’

Catherall indulges this nostalgia in his linocut A Vision, which was commissioned to illustrate a Simon Armitage poem of the same name, and incorporates elements of Coventry’s modernist Precinct. The rest of the works included in the exhibition focus on London landmarks (a city Catherall now calls home), including two new works depicting Perivale’s art deco Hoover building, set against a moody grey and blood-red sky, respectively.

Other spotlighted structures include Trellick Tower, Tate Modern and the Shard. But there’s more to come. ‘I have a long list of brutalist, modernist and art deco buildings I want to tackle,’ Catherall explains. ‘I’m working my way through them – slowly.’ Watch this carefully coloured, painstakingly printed space.

Left, Telecom Yellow, 2012. Right, Trellick, 2015 — Left, *Telecom Yellow,* 2012. Right, *Trellick,* 2015

Left, Down and Out in Paris & London, 2012. Right, Goldfinger III, 2011 — Left, *Down and Out in Paris & London,* 2012. Right, *Goldfinger III*, 2011

National Magenta, 2017 — *National Magenta,* 2017

Left, A Vision, 2013. Right, Barbican Shapes, 2010 — Left, *A Vision,* 2013. Right, *Barbican Shapes*, 2010

City of London Grey, 2016 — *City of London Grey,* 2016

Left, Routemaster at Bank, 2014. Right, Routemaster at Kings Cross, 2014 — Left, *Routemaster at Bank*, 2014. Right, *Routemaster at Kings Cross,* 2014

INFORMATION

‘Paul Catherall: Limited Edition Linocuts’ is on view until 21 May. For more information, visit Paul Catherall’s website and the For Arts Sake website

ADDRESS

Ealing Gallery
45 Bond Street
London W5 5AS

VIEW GOOGLE MAPS

Elly Parsons is the Digital Editor of Wallpaper*, where she oversees Wallpaper.com and its social platforms. She has been with the brand since 2015 in various roles, spending time as digital writer – specialising in art, technology and contemporary culture – and as deputy digital editor. She was shortlisted for a PPA Award in 2017, has written extensively for many publications, and has contributed to three books. She is a guest lecturer in digital journalism at Goldsmiths University, London, where she also holds a masters degree in creative writing. Now, her main areas of expertise include content strategy, audience engagement, and social media.