Ian Pollock is from Cheadle, Cheshire in 1950, the son of Gordon Pollock, a traditional claypipe manufacturer. He was educated at Woods Lane Secondary Modern School, and Moseley Hall Grammar School, Cheadle, Cheshire. He then did a foundation course at Manchester College of Art and Design, and in 1970 went to Manchester Polytechnic. On graduation as BA with First Class Honours in 1973 he went to the Royal College of Art, and on getting his MA in 1976 became a freelance illustrator.
He has published and illustrated a number of books – starting with Beware of the Cat in 1977, and has designed posters for the Royal Shakespeare Company. He works mostly for magazines and newspapers, appearing regularly in the “quality press.” His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Playboy, Penthouse, New Yorker, Talk, Esquire, GQ, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Elle, Country Life, Radio Times, New Scientist, Creative Review, Design Week, Stern, Sunday Times, Independent, Guardian, Observer, the Financial Times, and Daily Telegraph amongst others. As Pollock puts it, he will “work for anyone – even the taxman.”
He communicates humour through his illustration work. I love the use of media that he uses, ranging from soft watercolour blocks to bold inky lines, this detailing of certain parts of his illustrations help emphasise main points - for example, the face of a portrait or the humorous elements he adds to most of his work. This is the trait of most caricature artists and one that Ian Pollock demonstrates perfectly.
