The new Art Books, Prints and Cards Room opens today

Designed to look like an old libray, the new Art Books, Prints and Cards Room is crammed with glorious objects for the paper lovers of this world.

The room also includes our latest discovery, Brighton-based artist Alice Pattullo. Each year we select a collection by a recent graduate to add to the shop. We are sent hundreds of submissions throughout the year and we’re always on the look out for something really special - and we’ve found it in Alice Pattullo’s work.

A graduate of Illustration at Brighton University, Alice explores the possibilities of traditional screen-printing to achieve the vintage textures and colours found on antique posters, advertising boxes and paperbacks.

What has really struck us about Alice’s work is her sophisticated mixture of images and historical references. The themes she uses in her work which can be as varied as 1930's Broadway musicals, Scrimshaw, American folklore and even historical hairstyles. Her work conjures up contradictions; the images appear frivolous but are often macabre, the colours are nostalgic but also sinister and the overall feel is genuinely historical but bang up to date.

This print, We're in the Money is part of a series that looks at Busby Berkeley musicals from the 1930's and 40's.

Our prediction is Alice Pattullo is one to watch. The new Whistles store in Brighton agrees and recently commissioned Alice to create the ‘secret street signage’ around the town to direct customers to the store.

View Alice's work in the new Art Books, Prints and Cards Room.