A WELL-known Lancaster artist has gone back to his roots with an exhibition of theatre posters at The Dukes.

John Angus began designing and screen-printing posters in Birmingham in the 1970s before moving to Lancaster to set up his own workshop.

For the next three decades, John produced posters for cultural events all around the UK, including music, theatre, performance and literature.

Clients included Lancaster University rock concerts, the Arts Council, Welfare State International, Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre, Liverpool Philharmonic, The Young Vic and Lancaster arts organisations.

“I always thought of posters as a form of public art and on several occasions I was commissioned to produce billboard posters as artworks,” explained John said.

He decided to focus on theatre posters for the exhibition, partly because its in The Dukes and also because six of the posters appear in a recent book entitled Presenting Shakespeare: 1,100 Posters from Around the World. The book and the exhibition include some Dukes posters.

John’s poster production reduced during the 1990s when set up an art for health company and Lancaster’s Storey Gallery.

However, he started again last year, thanks to an Artists’ Access to Art College residency at the University of Central Lancashire. The new prints he’s produced have been exhibited in group shows, including the 2015 National Original Print Exhibition at Bankside Gallery in London.

Since the Storey Gallery closed in 2012, due to funding cuts, John has transformed the organisation into StoreyG2, which now runs non-gallery projects including one about landownership, entitled Landed (Freeman’s Wood).

John’s exhibition runs until January 10. An exhibition opening takes place on December 4 at 6.30pm as part of Lancaster Arts City's First Fridays.

The exhibition can be viewed in the gallery until during normal Dukes opening hours. However, those making a special trip to see it, should contact the box office as sometimes the gallery is used for other activities.

Telephone 01524-598500.