A Micronaut in the Wide World: The Imaginative Life and Times of Graham Percy

Description

Graham Percy is one of New Zealand's highest achieving illustrators on a global scale. Though he lived in London from 1964 until his death in 2008, he grew up here and never ceased thinking of himself as an expatriate Kiwi. A Micronaut in the Wide World re-discovers the life and work of this talented, original artist/illustrator/typographer. A tribute to the exquisite beauty of the hand-drawn line, the book also features large, colour reproductions of art works, documentary photos and a biographical, art historical text exploring the imaginative territories opened up by the drawings. It draws on his published illustrations as well as a remarkable body of independent work, some of which has never been seen before. This book underlines Percy's significance as an illustrator and an artist, and sheds light on his milieu in early 1960s Auckland, where he associated with, amongst others, Colin McCahon, Dick Scott, Greer Twiss, Hamish Keith, Wystan Curnow, Don Binney and Mervyn Williams.

Gregory O'Brien is a painter, curator and writer based in Wellington. His recent books include A Nest of Singing Birds; News of the Swimmer Reaches the Shore; and his award-winning books on art for the young and curious, Welcome to the South Seas and Back and Beyond. Graham Percy grew up in Taranaki and Auckland. After studying under Colin McCahon and working for the School Journal, he moved to London, where he became a graphic designer and artist specialising in children's book illustration. He has over 100 books to his credit, including The Wind in the Willows, The Arabian Nights and Aesop's Fables.