Sensual black and white drawings reveal stories of enchantment, writes Nick Elvin

The moon, a nude and a piano – these are the three elements that make up the Black and White Nocturnes, a collection of drawings now on show at Lauderdale House.

The 21 works by John Minnion pay homage to 21 short pieces, The Nocturnes, written by Polish pianist/composer Frederic Chopin, which evoke the atmosphere of night.

The artworks came about as a result of John’s wish to develop his life drawing skills – despite a career as a newspaper and magazine illustrator, he didn't in fact take up life drawing until the mid-1990s, when he joined a group in Muswell Hill.

“Because I never went to art college I came to life drawing quite late, when I’d already been a professional illustrator for over a decade,” says John. “Most of the figures are from what I’d done in life drawing sessions. That was the starting point.”

Although none of the drawings were based on a particular Nocturne, they all aim to have the feeling of Chopin’s music being played and listened to.

“I think the idea developed quite casually. It’s music I’ve always loved. The Nocturne had a very visual theme anyway.”

John lived for many years in Hornsey Lane, with a studio in Park Chapel in Crouch End, before moving to Liverpool in 2002, where he started a publishing company, Checkmate Books, to produce books that use his drawings.

Mainly caricatures, these tell stories from cultural history, with themes that include the story of Liverpool, and the Thatcher years.

“I'd always wanted to do caricatures. I was drawing the teachers at school as I sat there. I spent most of the ‘70s trying to establish myself.”

While doing this John also trained as a teacher at Trent Park College, but didn’t finish the course. In 1979 he joined the New Statesman as political illustrator, while in the ‘80s he worked on The Listener drawing composers. During the following decade, he was an illustrator for arts and TV columns in The Times.

As well as the exhibition, the drawings are also being used as the basis for an animation accompanying two performances of six of Chopin’s Nocturnes, which take place at Lauderdale House this week, and feature Albanian pianist Mirsa Adami.

“I was lucky enough to find a wonderful pianist who plays it while the animation is going on,” adds John. “We have done it once in public in Amsterdam, and it went down very well.”

Black and White Nocturnes runs until Sunday, April 3 at Lauderdale House, Highgate. The concerts take place there this Thursday and Friday, March 24 and 25 at 7.30pm. Details: 020 8348 8716, www.checkmatebooks.com