EXTRACTS: Illustrators issue 12 © 2015 The Book Palace (96 PAGES in Full edition)

95 The Gallery: Philip Mendoza—Phil Rushton on the artist's latter years PhilipMendozawas a giant of the UK commercial artworld for much of the first half of the 20th century. Born in London in 1898, he started off as a pavement artist, eventually graduating to large scale posters upon his return from the First World War. He was resourceful and inventive and produced work for a wide variety of commissioners, including the legendary Amalgamated Press editor, Leonard Matthews. Matthews kept Mendoza busy throughout the latter part of his career and as other sources of revenue dried up, Matthews was always there. Commissions flowed in for a wide variety of subject matter. Mendoza commanded a broad spectrum of styles and Matthews responded in kind. When a recently "retired" Matthews was looking for artists to contribute to a new partwork he was editing called, Once Upon A Time , Mendoza was high on the list of artists he approached. Mendoza himself was now in his seventies and, according to some accounts, more often than not the worse for drink—all of which was reflected in his work. Gone were the delicate miniature watercolours and intricate penmanship of his earlier days; instead he now favoured bold, impressionistic landscapes painted in broad, opaque strokes with thick poster paint. Apparently it became necessary to ‘finish off ’ his paintings at the office as he lost patience with niceties like panel borders and perspective, while messengers frequently had to be despatched to his flat in order to collect overdue artwork. But though the ageing artist had undoubtedly lost some of his old skill and professionalism he had also gained something even more valuable. Mendoza’s late paintings (many of which have a surprisingly dark, autumnal feeling) represent a personal statement, especially when compared to the superficial gloss of many of his contemporaries. His full-page images of mice situated in murky landscapes of giant puffballs and forests of grass exert real emotional power. Devoid of commercial artifice the paint has a physical presence that propels the artworks far beyond the purview of a weekly children's comic. This is the way all old artists should end their lives: not trying (and inevitably failing) to recapture past glories, but forever striving with all their might to conquer brand new vistas of artistic achievement . A fuller appraisal of Mendoza's work will be appearing in a forthcoming issue of illustrators —watch this space!