There’s a fascinating pop-up art show at the Roche Gallery on Rye High Street this weekend. Celebrating 35 years of Seasonal Postcard Design runs from Friday 14 August to Tuesday 18 August 11am to 5pm daily. The exhibition showcases the work of Rye artist and graphic designer Karen Wilks. Here’s her story, and why she thinks art in postcard form is so special.
Born in London, I trained at the London College of Printing and continued developing my skills working in a number of leading design consultancies, such as Carroll & Dempsey and The Partners, before setting up on my own design practice in 1988.
My work is typified by clear, thoughtful typography, ranging from traditional to modernist, to suit the application. My typographic skills are particularly suited to editorial design and I have clients from both public bodies and publishers, including Debrett’s, Imperial War Museum, Lawrence King, the Royal Mail and Thames Hudson.
Among the awards I have received over the years are those from D&AD (Design and Art Direction) and International Society of Typographic Designers (ISTD). I have lectured at UK colleges, including Central St Martins, Farnham and Sussex Coast College.
Since moving into the Rye area in 2001, I have worked with three Sussex based publishers, Ivy Press and Unicorn Publishing both in Lewes, and Graffito Books based in Ticehurst. In 2017 Unicorn published my first book, A-Z of Typography, which launched in the Rye Bookshop. I designed and co-wrote it with the experienced Editor Liz Wyse, who I first met while designing the Guinness Book of Records in 1997.
More recently, in my spare time, I have been enjoying art classes at the Rye Creative Centre under the direction of Georgie Watson, and exhibited in A Class Act which was recently covered by Rye News. I also exhibited at last year’s En Plein Air exhibition at the Rye Art Gallery where two of my paintings were selected.
When I started my own graphic design business in 1988, I was looking for ways to expand my contacts, find new clients and ultimately new work, which at the time meant lots of cold calling, something I wasn’t keen on. Once I had initially made contact with someone, I would need to find another way of keeping in touch, so I thought I could design a regular mail out. I love the postcard format and staying in touch with clients four times a year felt about right. I decided on seasonal postcards. I have always had an interest in weather facts and figures, and I liked the idea of giving myself time and space to think about my own projects.
So, each year I have found another way to tell a weather-related story; facts about extreme temperatures, speed of precipitation, daylight hours, the language of the shipping forecast, full moons and the Beaufort Scale.
I have had some fantastic feedback over the years, and once, when visiting the V&A design studios, I was surprised to see several of my postcards from over the years on their office pinboard. I have really enjoyed working on this long term project and will continue to do so. It has been a great way of keeping in touch with clients and friends, and receiving their compliments over the years. After more than 35 years, it now feels like the right time to bring all this work together and show it to the public.
Exhibition at Roche Gallery, High Street, Rye TN31 7JN
From Friday 14 August – Tuesday 18 August, daily from 11am to 5pm
Image Credits: Karen Wilks .