Borin Van Loon : Who He? / LINKS

Borin Van Loon has been a freelance illustrator since 1976. He is an author, collagist and surrealist painter and has worked for a wide variety of clients in editorial, publishing and promotion. A selection of work is included on this site encompassing books, comics, model-making also paintings and collage. He has created an eclectic collage/cartoon mural on the subject of DNA and genetics for the Health Matters Gallery in London's Science Museum. His main aim in life is to pose questions which disturb and amuse in equal measure.

We now have page devoted to Album covers and band visuals which includes CD and EP artwork, including the recently discovered Slits LP 'Girls next door' cover.

Borin Van Loon gave an illustrated talk 'From Superman via Psychedelia to Surrealism' on his work as collagist, illustrator and painter and shared what motivates and inspires him (that's what it says on the poster) in an event organised by Ipswich Art Society at the Co-operative Educational Centre, Ipswich. Over 90 images were used, some, never-before-seen pieces of Borin's earliest paintings and collages. There is an illustrated review of the talk by artist Mark Beesley on the Freelance website (scroll down this page for Links), by clicking on 'Reviews & Features'.

We recently found an intriguing review of 'Heroine', a women's comic from the 70s which Borin contributed. It's in the Collage Comics page with Suzy Varty's cover image.

Now out: Introducing Economics published June 2011written by David Orrell. See The Discarded Made Beautiful page for a current collaborative art show in Ipswich for which Borin made eight assemblages. Borin's book DNA for Beginners  is republished (January 2011) in a revised edition as DNA: the molecule that shook the world by Columbia University Press in America. First published in 1983 as DNA for Beginners, the authors arranged with CUP for a major overhaul of the information in the book, meanwhile preserving many of the favourite illustrations and strips. This radical surgery could not have been achieved without the sterling work of Milenda Lee, Senior Designer at at CUP. Hat's off to her! A French edition follows. Borin's work on Introducing Statistics (September 2009) written by Eileen Magnello spawned Borin's blog (text and photographs) about the project which is linked from the Introducing homepage. See the studio! Smell the fear!

Bart Dickon, The Ideologically-Sound Secret Agent, of The Chap magazine (and others) has been anthologised, at over 100 pages, in The Bart Dickon Omnibus by Severed Head Books. You can buy copies of this magnus opus via secure server whether or not you have a PayPal account; there is supporting material and a Bart Mart for Bart Dickon gifts, too! He now has a presence on myspace.com and has a regular blog of his adventures for fans to read - see Links below. The Omnibus has garnered impressive reviews.

The painting sequence Meet the ancestors and the major work Butterfly on a branding iron are now included here. The book jacket paintings for John Timpson's novels Paper trail / Sound tracks at last added to this site. Catherine Larner's article on Borin and The Bart Dickon Omnibus was published in the January 2008 issue of The Suffolk Journal.

(We are able to offer many images on this site as limited edition colour prints. Contact us here. The Captain Beefheart print continues to sell from time to time and the recent, sad death of the subject seems to have renewed interest among fans.)

Accidental Etymology of 'Borin Van Loon' [see also The Van Loon family page]
1. So Soon: Slag Boom Van Loon (Mu Ziq: Speedy J). 2001 Remix Album on label: PLANETMU featuring Boards Of Canada. As played on Radio 1 by the much-missed John Peel.
2. J.R.R. Tolkein's 'Lord of the Rings': fictional world of Middle-earth, Borin is a Dwarf of Durin's Line, the second son of King Náin II. He was the ancestor of both Balin and Gimli, Elf-friend of the Company of the Ring.
3. Loon: Great Nothern Diver, see Page of Loons. And just to show the breadth of interest (in this case of mythical proportions) of this Rennaissance Man, we found this book during a recent trawl of the web: "Cytotaxonomical Atlas of the Balkan Flora (Cytotaxonomical Atlases, Vol 4) by Borin Van Loon. Lubrecht & Cramer Ltd; Released: August, 1987; List Price: £55.06" (http://www.medfools.com/shopuk/SearchKeyword/Borin%20Van%20Loon/books/keyword/5.html). If only Borin had actually written this work...
Borin Van Loon & Bart Dickon now appear on Wikipedia and Eyeplorer (link in section below).

Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Triclops

Borin's project site involves his interest in the use of historic lettering on walls in his home town of Ipswich (and further afield). The galleries of images gathered over several years show a bygone era of advertisements, company names, street signs and architectural lettering. The site continues to develop and browsers are asked to contribute information and amendments at: http://ipswich-lettering.org/

THE LINKS SECTION