I have been picking the art and picture books of Australian illustrator Shaun Tan ever since I saw his beautiful work up-close in person at the Welcome To Nowhere art exhibition held in Tokyo in 2019.
My latest acquisition is the 2014 Rules Of Summer, a picture book that explores the often complicated emotional relationship of a sibling dynamic ( in this case between and elder/younger brother ), told through a series of imaginary, dreamlike scenarios and illustrated with Shaun Tan’s masterful layering of color and impressionistic plays on light and shadow, a deft play with the ordinary and the surreal. The large hard-cover format of the book shows off the artist’s vibrant paint strokes in stunning detail; any of these pieces would look amazing mounted.
Book synopsis from the publisher – Never be late for a parade.Never forget the password.Never ruin a perfect plan.It’s all about the rules. But what if the rules feel completely arbitrary? What if your older brother is the only one who gets to make them up all summer long? And what if he’s the only one who can save you when the darkness of winter comes rushing in?As usual, master artist and storyteller Shaun Tan shows us the strange truth of ordinary things — rules, relationships, despair, and hope — as only he can.
(above & below) These are 2 of the pieces that I was lucky enough to see the originals during my time at the artist’s exhibition Welcome To Nowhere, held in Tokyo in 2019. I remember them vividly because the actual size are larger than life, easily filling up the entire wall of a small room. It was really impressive seeing them up-close and in person.
I have purchased and reviewed quite a number of Shaun Tan’s books since 2019, and all of them have been fantastic, and Rules Of Summer is no exception. It’s a small book by page count (48 pages), but each painting speak volumes. Recommended.
Rules Of Summer – Shaun Tan Illustrated Book details :
– Dimensions – 11.62 x 0.45 x 10.84 inches
– hardcover, 48 pages
– Full color, in English
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