Yann Martel

The calibre of submissions was very high and it was tough getting to a shortlist. Such a rich and abundant variety of visions to choose from — it was like hacking through a jungle. I don’t know how we’ll get to a final winner. But one thing is sure: we have here five vivid and compelling visual renditions of Life of Pi. Which is the better one, I wonder?

Jamie Byng
(publisher, Canongate Books)

From the moment I first read Life of Pi I had a very strong visual sense of the book, not least because of Yann’s descriptive powers which render so many scenes and aspects of the book in such vivid detail.

When we discussed the jacket within Canongate we all felt instinctively that we wanted an artist’s impression rather than a photograph. And when Andy Bridge delivered his final artwork we knew he had nailed it — he has created what has come to be regarded as a classic of contemporary cover art.

Launching this prize raised a number of issues. Comparisons would inevitably be made with Andy’s iconic image but it is testament to the imaginative power of the book that it could inspire so many different approaches, a number of which are superb. Judging an artist’s ability to illustrate an entire book on the strength of one image is difficult and there were a number who produced excellent work and who the panel would love to have seen more work by. But five it had to be and here they are. I await with anticipation the next round of the judging process.

Peter Brookes
(Times cartoonist)

Having judged many competitions in my time both as an illustration tutor and a newspaper cartoonist, I have all too often surveyed a longlist of entries with a deep sense of disappointment.

But not this time, as there was patently a lot more wheat than chaff.

The work was exciting and imaginative, and I particularly applaud those artists who decided against the more obvious submission of boy in boat with tiger.

Perhaps there was a bit too much “design” rather than straight drawing, that would have probably fallen flat over a whole book. But no matter, the shortlist is wonderfully strong, the book is a peach to illustrate, and finding a finalist is going to be a treat.

CANADIAN SHORTLIST
Victor Tkachenko
Pascal Hierholz
Tim Anderson
Michael Clarke
Kate Puxley

AUSTRALIAN SHORTLIST
Sophia Hanover
Judith Rossell
Michelle Giacobello
Leith Walton
Karen Schneider

BRITISH SHORTLIST

ANDREA OFFERMANN
(Los Angeles, USA)

I read the book before I heard about the competition. I loved it and actually dreamt of illustrating it. The philosophical and religious discussions intrigued me, and I felt a strong connection with Pi.

This scene felt like the heart of the book. It called for an image to support the text and expand on it. I think my work mirrors the spirituality and love for detail that I found in Yann Martel’s writing. It was a great pleasure to put animals in a place you would least expect them, such as birds flying under water, and to incorporate hints of earlier and later parts of the book in this painting.

I used oil glazes on top of a pen and ink drawing. I mostly work in this and in printmaking techniques such as etching and woodcut. I graduated from Art Center College of Design in April 2005 and have been freelancing since.

LUIS LORENZANA
(Manila, Philippines)

I never bought the book. When the competition came to my knowledge, I didn’t have any cents in my pocket but I wanted to enter so I went to the bookstore four days in a row to read it. I’m happy to be shortlisted. I put a lot of work in: it’s a long walk to the bookstore! My illustration is entitled The Greatest Show on Earth — it shows the scene where Pi is taming Richard Parker. It is full of emotion, conflict and excitement. Pi could die at that moment. I wanted to emphasise the space between them; to capture the intensity of the tiger and the mix of coolness and terror in Pi.

I use all sorts of media, but this was done by layering acrylic paint on paper. I wanted to make it look old and blurred, to fit the magical, mysterious effect of Pi’s story. I plan a completely different style to illustrate the alternative story that Pi tells at the end.

TOMISLAV TORJANAC
(Orahovica, Croatia)

My illustration is called There Goes Our Lunch. It shows the Japanese investigators who interview Pi in a Mexican hospital after his rescue. This scene gave me the chance to include symbolic objects — the tape recorder, the IV drip — and to create the atmosphere of a small room, where the viewer is in the position of Pi himself.

I first read Life of Pi a while ago. It was very important to me: I discussed it with my girlfriend for a long time. It made me think about how we interpret our own reality.

I am a professional illustrator. Last year I did a fully illustrated book called The Cat and the Devil — the only story that James Joyce wrote for children. I paint with oils — a slow and thoughtful medium — then take a photograph and give it a bit of digital help. An oil painting can take up to two years to be completely dry, so making it digital means I don’t miss my deadlines.

TOMER HANUKA
(London)

When I was an illustrator in New York I used to like to listen to audiobooks while I drew. That’s when I first came across Life of Pi — it was so touching that it was interfering with my work. Every time I reread it, it takes me on a different journey, but it’s always a strong experience. It’s an allegory but it’s not simplistic: it’s elastic.

I gave my illustration a symbolic arrangement to get beyond a mere description. But I didn’t want it to be too iconic and lose sight of the story’s realism — the practicalities of life on the boat. My composition reflects Pi’s daily routine. His life is so dangerous, but he just gets on with it: a lot of people exist like that. His head is almost in the tiger’s mouth, but he’s in control.

I always start by hand, with brush and ink, and then fill in the colours on a computer. I’ve never tried illustrating a book before and it’s made me more reserved than I would be for a magazine. If there’s a series of images you have to avoid overwhelming the reader.

JONATHAN GROSS
(Powys)

I used to work in a bookshop and, after the 2002 Man-Booker prize, was selling copies of Life of Pi left, right and centre. I had thought about illustrating it before I heard about the competition. It contains passages that are so wonderfully descriptive — the orang utan on her throne of bananas, for example — that there’s almost nothing an illustrator can add to them.

It is better to look for smaller moments that will add to the text rather than duplicate it. I wanted an image that would suggest how the text and images could interact. I run a health food shop and I am a freelance illustrator. Engraving is not done much any more, but I’ve been working with it for the past couple of years. This was engraved on a vinyl surface and then duplicated — you need one block for each colour, and then you print them over the top of each other. It ’s difficult to get them to line up.

ARTIST INTERVIEWS by TOM GATTI

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