In November, The Night Press released a new art book by Michael O'Leary.
A book of Book Drawings is an art book by Michael O’Leary a Paekakariki artist, publisher and writer in New Zealand. The book collects O’Leary’s book covers and illustrations from the 1980s to 2026 done for publications by Earl of Seacliff Art Workshop his imprint, Original Books, HeadworX Publishers and The Night Press. His earlier work was inspired by the drawings of John Lennon and cartoon/graphic art as shown by the book’s cover a 1970s drawing. O’Leary's drawings range from music icons (Bob Dylan, U2, Oasis, The Rolling Stones, Jim Morrison, Beach Boys, The Kinks, Kurt Cobain, Metallica, Ramones) to writers and artists (James K Baxter, John Baxter, Ruth Gilbert, Niel Wright, Robert Creeley). It’s an eclectic and fascinating series of portraits showing O’Leary’s contribution to graphic art.
“He places himself firmly in the grand tradition of artists who invent their own tradition…Like Rimbaud or Mallarme, he is capable of the ecstacies of artistic creation and a euphoric immersion in nature or human company or music (the Beatles, Kurt Cobain…).” – Gregory O’Brien