In a period of ever increasing modes of capturing, documenting, commenting on contemporary life, society and environment there continues to be a visual presence and use of the illustrated. The exhibition explores the diverse forms of documentary illustrative practice that pushes and at times transcends perceived ideas and values of what could be considered documentary/reportage forms. In a world of instant image generation and consumption, the illustrative continues to question our perception and desire for mimetic visuals. In response to this the body of work in the exhibition challenges the mimetic. In particular, in terms of the layered periodization of the creative process from the thereness of the instant to the post-production construction of the documentary. Echoing John Grierson’s (1933) “creative treatment of actuality” the selected work aims to expand our understanding of how the materiality and the autographic is utilized by the illustrator to navigate contemporary issues such as the arms trade, refugee camps, social/political protests, archival and cultural memory. In turn how this is mediated by the viewer in accessing diverse narrative voices and spectatorial world views through the agency of the image.