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SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, I sat with the Review's designers, Jim Ireland and Carol Young, looking through 20 or so pieces of art, all of which illustrated Wayne Schmalz's essay, "A Prairie Harvest," which appears in this issue. The artwork had been done by students of Toronto's Ontario College of Art and Design as an assignment, with the understanding that the best piece would be used in the magazine.
I was fascinated by the many different approaches the students had taken. There was an ethereal, sensual piece that made use of delicate leaves and subtle colours; a clever sketch that combined a farmer and various mechanical and agricultural images; and a charming picture of a farmhouse set amid fields that seemed to stretch for ever. But one piece stood out. Not only was it a very fine piece of work, but it captured perfectly both the mood of Schmalz's essay and the style of this magazine. It was the work of John Perlock and appears on the cover of this issue.
Deciding that more than one illustration was needed, we commissioned Perlock to do a second piece. The result was the finely executed Kurelek-like illustration that appears on pages two and three.
No doubt the remuneration Perlock received was very welcome, but for a person about to begin his career as a freelance illustrator, the greater reward was having his work published. "Art directors don't seem interested in you unless you've been published," says Perlock. "I'd been to see a few art directors about doing work, but they wanted to know where I'd been published. I had done a few pieces for Web sites but nothing for print. I hope this will open some doors."
Perlock isn't the first student from the Ontario College of Art and Design to be published in the Review. In 1999, Marcos Chin, who was then in his final year, did a wonderful illustration for the cover of the fall issue based on Al Purdy's essay "A Sort of Human Triumph." Chin went on to receive an APEX (Awards for Publication Excellence) from a U.S. communications organization for the work, and has since established himself as a respected illustrator in both Canada and the United States, working for such publications as Flare & Co., New York magazine and the Los Angeles Times Magazine.
JIM IRELAND receives many portfolios from young artists and photographers eager for professional experience. "It would be impossible to assign all of them work," says Ireland, "but when I see young people with great potential I like to help them if I can."
Ireland recalls the help he was given in the early years of his career. Born and raised in England, he came to Canada in 1967 after working as a graphic designer in London for two years. "I got a job in a small studio in Toronto doing layout, but I didn't feel I was getting very far," he says. "So I decided I'd go and see some art directors." One of them was Ken Rodmell, a former art director of the Review who was then designing the Canadian, a weekly magazine distributed with various newspapers across the country. Obviously impressed with the young designer's ability, Rodmell offered him a job with the Canadian, and, as Ireland says, he never looked back. "Ken made such a difference to my life, and I've always been extremely grateful," he remarks. "From that first meeting, he guided my career, coached me and generally looked out for me." Over the years, Ireland has designed a number of Canada's best-known publications, including Maclean's, Toronto Life and Canadian Art, and in 1997 was the recipient of the National Magazine Awards Foundation's lifetime achievement award, becoming the first art director to be so honoured. Since then, only one other art director has received this award – Ken Rodmell.
IT WAS A TEACHER at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute's graduate journalism program who opened a door for me. He had taught me magazine writing and knew that I was hoping to work in the area. After completing the program, I received a call from the teacher. Maclean's magazine had asked him to write an article, he said, but he was unable to and would, if I liked, suggest to the assigning editor that I write it.
It was only a short article on a topic of no great significance (electronic checkouts at grocery stores, as I recall), but it led to another (lice) and then another (a new surgical technique for treating scoliosis). I used these articles to approach other magazines, and it wasn't long before I found I was earning my keep as a freelance writer and editor. How grateful I've always been to that teacher.
Remembering the value of having a door opened for me, I find it satisfying to see the work of people like John Perlock in the Review. But publishing the work of newcomers is not an act of altruism. Emerging writers and artists provide fresh ideas; they are essential to the continuation of our magazines.
Certainly, John Perlock's work for the Review will not gain him instant success. It does, however, provide this talented artist with his first appearance in print, which, I hope, will be instrumental in helping him to secure further assignments. As Jim Ireland reflects, "A little help can last a lifetime."– Sarah Lawley
Illustration by Roy Schneider
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