The Shock of the Old (II) - Drawings Featured in Motif Magazine

Motif was an extraordinarily eclectic Art & Design magazine, published from 1958 to 1967. Its production values were incredibly high for the time – exquisite paper stock, elaborate fold-outs, beautiful end-papers etc.

We'd highly recommend the extensive Motif article by Rick Poynor on The Design Observer Group website.

Each issue was a varied mix of architecture, printmaking, painting, drawing, sculpture, graphic design and illustration. 

Grillust lecturers Dwayne Bell and Tony Peart (both 33, both charismatic) have been slowly building their own run of Motif (so far, issues 1,2,3,6,7,9) and students are more than welcome to pop into their office to look through the collection. It must be stressed that the real publication is much more interesting than its digital reproduction (as impressive as they are).

For this post we've decided to look at the drawings featured in Motif. We hope you enjoy them...

MOTIF NO. 1 November 1958 – Cover by Charles Mozley

MOTIF NO. 2 February 1959 – Cover by Robert Stewart

 Robert Stewart

Sheila Robinson 

MOTIF NO. 3 September 1959 – Cover by John Griffiths

A Front of Shops – John Griffiths 

MOTIF NO. 6 Spring 1961 – Cover by Hans Unger

 From Uganda  – Hans Unger

Untitled pencil drawings – Reg Butler 

Life Drawing – Claude Rogers 

Reportage spread – Ian Ribbons 


MOTIF NO. 7 Summer 1961 – Cover by Alan Davie

A Bestiary – the great Milton Glaser 

Joseph Low 

Reportage spread – Gerald Downes

MOTIF NO. 9 Summer 1962 – Cover by Edward Bawden

Peniche – Edward Bawden 

Reportage spread – John Griffiths