Visual Arts

A colourful and fascinating new exhibition at Leeds Art Gallery will explore the relationships between comics and art. From Thursday 27 September 2007 'Cult Fiction' will feature the work of 16 contemporary artists.

The visual language of comics and graphic novels has influenced many contemporary artists who have used its conventions of pictorial narrative and unique mix of word and image. This exhibition has arrived on tour in Leeds from The Hayward Gallery in London.

The exhibition includes work by Raymond Pettibon (perhaps best known for his record sleeve designs for hardcore legends, Black Flag), Laylah Ali, Marcel Dzama, Olivia Plender and David Shrigley, and 12 leading comics artists and graphic novelists.

Among the comics artists are underground legend R. Crumb, the innovative French graphic artist Killoffer, kooky retro genius Daniel Clowes, award-winning investigative comics journalist Joe Sacco, and renowned illustrator Posy Simmonds.

Fine artists Adam Dant, Kerry James Marshall and Olivia Plender have published their own comics while others, like Glen Baxter, Raymond Pettibon and David Shrigley employ a combination of word and image in forms that are reminiscent of popular cartoons.

The recurring themes and characters typical of comics can be seen in Laylah Ali's cast of bowling-ball headed characters, or the ragged furry felines that appear in Jon Pylypchuk's work. Kerstin Kartscher and Paul McDevitt employ graphic elements from comic book imagery to create works that suggest a story without using words.

Cult Fiction has been originated by artist and curator, Kim L Pace and is co-curated with Hayward curator Emma Mahony. A fully illustrated catalogue, designed by Jacob Covey, Art Director of Fantagraphics Books, features essays by Paul Gravett and Emma Mahony and a picture-essay by Kim L Pace. All of the participating artists in Cult Fiction have contributed a drawn self-portrait together with their handwritten answers to questions posed by the curators.

'Cult Fiction' runs from Thursday 27 September until Sunday 11 November 2007