Three in a Box’s Martin O’Neill Makes the V&A Illustration Award Shortlist

Martin O’Neill was shortlisted for the prestigious annual V&A Illustration Award in the editorial illustration category. These awards have been running for 46 years and previous winners are among the best-known British illustrators, like Ralph Steadman, Posy Simmonds, Sara Fanelli, Quentin Blake, Laura Carlin, Matthew Richardson, Helen Musselwhite and Yasmeen Ismail.

Please take a moment to peruse the beautiful array and intricate detail in this collection of Martin’s collage work.

threeinabox.com/artist-portfolios/oneill/

Martin O’Neill

Martin O’Neill is an illustrator & collage artist who creates unique hand made collages for a range of clients encompassing publishing, advertising & design. Drawing from a vast collection of found ephemera & photography he develops his images through a subtle alchemy of hand made collage, silkscreen & layering. A constantly moving array of processes and media fuel his practice which includes writing and experimental film making.

Garage Magazine ‘ Virtual Vatican’

“I was commissioned by Remi Paringaux at Garage Magazine to create five intensely detailed virtual reality collages. A nice juxtaposition really, thinking about VR worlds being completely digital and my work being hand made cut and paste.

This particular piece was ‘Virtual Vatican – Ecclesiastical Heraldry’ where the VR holiday maker would ‘Virtually vacation through centuries of Vatican City as a creators of divine emissary’.

The piece honed in on the intensity of papal & ecclesiastical fashion through the centuries and my research involved buying 20 or so books on the history of Catholicism, the Vatican city, sculptures and statues. I also looking into religious vestments, robes and relics. Although I’m not a practising Catholic now, being brought up Irish Catholic community in London definitely helped with the understanding and research of this artwork. I had a good idea of the subject matter and even drew from a personal collection of prayer cards and holy relics inherited from dearly departed relatives and grandparents.”

Link to Martin’s  V&A Illustration Awards page.

Link to the V&A Illustration Awards Shortlist – Martin is in the editorial category.

Links to all artworks / writing – in the series.