NEW YORK—The Armory Show has commissioned British artist Ewan Gibbs to create the visual identity for its 2009 fair. Gibbs, known for his detailed grisaille drawings on graph paper, will create a series of iconic images celebrating New York City. His artwork will set the aesthetic for all of the fair's advertising and marketing materials.

This will be the eighth year that the Armory Show has commissioned an artist to define the image of the fair. In addition, the 2009 edition will introduce a new section of the fair on Pier 92, The Armory Show-Modern, for modern and secondary market works.

According to executive director Katelijne De Backer, Gibbs is the ideal artist to represent both sections of the Armory Show. "His meticulous, meditative drawings reference early movements like Pointillism while remaining contemporary," she said. "And his choice of New York as a subject is clearly close to our heart, as the city's support of the arts is a vital part of our success."