Look! The Art of Australian Picture Books Today

Created by the State Library of Victoria, Look! includes 112 artworks by leading Australian illustrators including Shaun Tan, Graeme Base, Bob Graham, Gregory Rogers, Ann James, Leigh Hobbs, Ron Brooks and Frané Lessac.

The exhibition includes sketches, drafts, mock-ups, finished artwork and publications as well as multimedia presentations which demonstrate the various stages of developing contemporary Australian picture books. Curator Mike Shuttleworth says Look! gives children a chance to see artwork from their favourite stories up close and explore the process of visual storytelling: "Here are works from Australia’s finest children’s book illustrators. The exquisite images tell many stories, some beautiful, some hilarious, some difficult. They help children to understand their world. They give imaginations fuel to dream." 

The exhibition is supported by Visions of Australia, an Australian Government program supporting touring exhibitions by providing funding assistance for the development and touring of Australian cultural material across Australia.

A preview of some of the images which make up Look! can be viewed here.

Image: Elizabeth Honey, illustration from I'm Still Awake, Still, music by Sue Johnson, Allen & Unwin, 2008, gouache on paper, courtesy of the artist.