Three to watch at Streetview Mcr illustration show at 2022NQ

Over 40 artists have taken part in Streetview, a new art show which gets illustrators and artists to offer their take on Google streetview images – a kind of creative alternative to the spy-cam vibe. The show’s curator, Hayley Flynn, is an award-winning blogger (check out her extraordinary insights into architecture, recent history and urban life at theskyliner.org) so we thought it would be good to get her side of the story ahead of the launch this Friday. She suggests that rather than look at the show’s more recognisable artists (Paul Hallows, Mark O’Brien, Craig Barr, Stanley Chow etc) we should check out these three to watch…

Luke McGarry

Based in LA but a native of Wythenshawe, Luke is one of two international artists taking part. The youngest ever winner of the National Cartoonist Society’s Silver T-Square award, Luke captures despicable characters and presents them in vivid comic book colours; like a vibrant mix of Ren and Stimpy and Rocko’s Modern Life. His piece ‘Wild Dogs of Wythenshawe’ is based on the feral dogs that roam his grandma’s neighbourhood and, true to form, he captures the downright dirtiest and baddest of all the hounds. lukemcgarry.com

Joshua Brent (pictured)

Joshua Brent loves the irregular line, and his piece ‘Thomas Street’ is testament to that. Rambo’s Tattoo shop at Shudehill is the focus of the piece but there’s something in Joshua’s style that sends you to faraway places; to the suburbs of New York or Baltimore. The only colours on the page are green, and yellow and despite how instantly recognisable the street is, and ignoring the bus that flies by emblazoned with Oldham, you are no longer really here in Manchester. www.joshuabrent.com

Michael Morrell

Michael is a final year student at Manchester School of Art and his work is influenced by that of Peter Arkle. Michael documents what he sees with reportage illustration, making newspapers of social history or everyday events. Spending three weeks observing the initial stages of the BBC Oxford Road site demolition, he has illustrated three newspapers, as well as a collection of panoramic prints. There’s something in the way that the human element shines through in these documentaries that’s reminiscent of Alasdair Gray’s recent exhibition City Recorder for GoMa. http://mikemorrell.tumblr.com/

Fri 25 Jan – Mon 18 Feb, 2022NQ, 20/22 Dale Street, Northern Quarter, M1 1EZ, Tel: 0161 237 9360, Launch party Fri 6pm-2am, Mon 28 Jan noon-5pm, Thu 31 Jan 6pm – midnight, Fri 1 Feb noon – 5pm. see www.2022nq.co.uk for ongoing opening hours.