• Illustration part of the London Design Festival 2017
• 5 colour screenprint
• Limited Edition of 20
• Signed
• Sold unframed

DESCRIPTION:

Gin Cat, 'Old Tom' is a limited edition screen print part of the London Design Festival 2017.

Gin Cat is inspired by the Gin Act of 1736 when the licensing fees to sell gin were raised immensely in an attempt to reduce England's addiction to gin.

This hand screen printed illustration has been painted in monochrome on wood panel firstly and then used to produce this limited edition of 20 screen prints.

STORY:

Due to the closure of so many gin shops, people turned to the black market where a popular style of selling gin called 'Old Tom' became mischievously popular. 

In order to escape identification, gin vendors will establish a hole in their shop's wall where their faces were concealed and add the Tomcat symbol outside so people would recognise their illegal shops.

Clients will whisper to the car for gin and if the shop had some at the time, they would respond "Mew". The client would then slip a coin into the mouth of the cat and they would receive a dram of gin via a funnel that lead to the cat's paw.

PAPER:

350gsm Madrid Litho

DIMENSIONS:

50 x 69 cm

Check Tom Berry's interview to know a bit more about his art. 

Discover more artworks here.