Study Task 5

References:

 L. Zeegen, Where is the content? Where is the Comment?  Creative Review, March 2012 [1] 

L. Zeegen, Computer Arts (Issue 174), The Illustration Revival [2]

Lisa Beta

The definition of illustration has become somewhat blurred over recent years. In my opinion, it is an image that is designed with a purpose and communicates something. I think that designing an image with a purpose sets it apart from just producing a drawing that you might stick on your wall or leave under your bed to gather dust. An illustration communicates a message either on its own or is aided with the use of text. For example, the image above by Lisa Beta shows two people sat at a dining table with food in front of them. However, they are not eating, instead they are playing on their mobile devices and not even engaging in conversation. In my opinion, this is not the kind of image you would draw for your mother on her birthday. It is a representation of what appears to be the norm around many dinner tables nowadays. It is a cold reminder that more often than not, people would rather socialise with a machine than have a conversation over a meal because as a nation, we are addicted to the internet and technology. 

However, increasingly illustration is becoming somewhat of a trend and is losing its voice in the media. It is becoming something viewed only by other young, new illustrators who are no longer trying to "fight the nothingness; stake a claim into new territories, challenge preconceptions, perceptions and conventions" [1].  It seems that a lot of the modern, trendy illustration is nothing more than "contemporary eye candy" [1] and that we aren't seeing these people's opinions on the world because it doesn't look nice and it won't sell on a T-shirt or mug. 

The image above, in my eyes is a good example of illustration. The message is subtle and yet so powerful and it makes me feel something. The warm colours contrast beautifully with the cold message it imposes. The food and wine is made to look inviting to juxtapose with what the two people are doing - just ignoring their meal and each others company for their virtual social networks. This image is not a piece of fine art or simply a drawing, it is an example of "a discipline heroically standing its own ground" [2] and showing an opinion on the world today. 

Because of the wide audience illustration is created for, it can shift opinions on topics throughout the world. The Shepard Fairey illustration of Barack Obama "Hope", helped define politics today. It had a role in impacting and changing the lives of Americans and others around the world.

Illustration is also there to entertain and invoke some kind of emotion from us. For example, comics are popular with younger people but the morals of the stories stay with us for the rest of our lives and we are able to enjoy those stories over and over again. Illustrations can teach us things that words cannot. They are visual representations of concepts to help us understand and figure out what we know as the world around us. 

Study Task 4

Semiotic Analysis

Alice in Wonderland, John Tenniel

This is a picture of a small girl turning away from playing cards flying through the air. From the way that the girl is dressed and her hair style, even in black and white, we can understand that she is the character Alice, from the Alice in Wonderland stories. Her dress, pinafore, white tights and black shoes are all easily recognisable in society today. Perhaps this is not only because of the original story books, but because of the many film adaptations, such as Disney's Alice in Wonderland (1951). The blonde hair and blue dress suggest the story of the young girl who falls down a rabbit hole into a place known as Wonderland. In this place she meets a variety of strange characters who often don't take kindly to her appearance, experiences her body growing and shrinking in ways that make her uncomfortable and confused. These visual symbols might refer to the changes young people go through as they grow up - their body physically changing into ways they might not like or understand at first and the frustration of finding acceptance and figuring out the world around us. The facial expression and body language of the young girl clearly symbolises her discomfort of the situation because we recognise a frown is associated with certain feelings. 

The clothing that Alice is wearing in the picture refers to the time when it was originally drawn. The long dress and pinafore would look out of place on a child in 2013, whereas it was the usual attire for a young girl to wear in 1865, when it was first published. In 1865, young children, or anyone for that matter, would not be seen wearing jeans as they are today. This is due to the fact that the technology to make jeans had not been invented then. Girls and women especially would not usually be seen wearing trousers because society still viewed them differently to men. Between 1865 and 2013 the political views on women have changed vastly. For example, in the 1800's women would have commonly stayed at home to look after children and clean up after the men, who worked to earn the household income. Since around the 1940s, women made a breakthrough with equality. Nowadays women can vote, work and do whatever a man can do in the eyes of the law. With this in mind, the very concept of Alice in Wonderland being based around a young girl, may have seemed a little radical when it was first published. Girls were regarded as quiet, unquestioning beings that always did what they were told and so the very idea of this story being about a young girl going on an adventure and finding her voice in Wonderland may have seemed quite controversial at the time. 

Study Task 2

Jamel Akib

In my opinion, Jamel Akib's work sometimes crosses the line between illustration and fine art. Although some of his work is clearly commercial and has a clear purpose or message, other pieces such as the image above seem to be an interpretation of observation. Stereo typically I would categorize this piece as fine art because of the loose painterly style and absence of line. However, I don't think it has any concept behind it, it appears to be just an observation - or illustration of what the artist saw. I think it is hard to confine art to different categories as there are always elements of them all within a piece. Whatever defines an image as fine art - concept, skill etc are still present in illustration - which aims to communicate an idea or concept.

Study Task 3

Compare and contrast the two images in relation to the following:-

a)    The choice and organisation of the font and style of illustration

b)   The purpose and meaning of the image

c)    The target/potential audience of the image

d)   The social and historical contexts relevant to the production of the image

KEY: Image one = Poster by Savile Lumley 1915

Image two = The Uncle Sam Range (1876) Advertising Image by Schumancher & Ettlinger, New York.

Image one shows an illustration of a man sat in a chair with a young girl on his lap and a young boy playing with toy soldiers at his feet. He is looking directly at the viewer whilst the children are either looking at their toys or the father figure. The only text is at the bottom of the page, which reads ‘Daddy, what did YOU do in the Great War’? . The font is simple and italic and because of the first word, ‘Daddy’ you usually hear a child’s voice inside your head when reading it.

Image two shows six people sat round a dining table, one of which is shaped like the world, a serving lady and a young black boy by the oven. The furniture, carpets, curtains and clothes of the two people are decorated with the American stars and stripes. Everyone around the table appears to be looking towards the person shaped like the world.  The text at the bottom is large, bold and in a Western font coloured gold, which reads ‘The Uncle Sam Range’ and some other small print. The text is big and bold because the purpose of the illustration is to advertise so it must grab the viewers attention.

Both images have little text and are quite a similar illustration style. For example, the basic human proportions are fairly realistic excluding the person shaped as the world.  Both images also have the text towards the bottom of the page, which suggests the illustrator wanted the main focus to be on the image itself, which forms a kind of narrative.

Image one was used as a form of propaganda during the First World War, known as the Great War at the time as they didn’t expect there to be another war of that scale. Its purpose was to try and get more men to join the army and other war forces. It tries to portray an image of a happy family after the war, suggesting not only that Britain is going to win but that children will be proud of their fathers and will be eager to hear their Great War stories. This image tries to target men and almost guilt them into joining the war efforts to avoid any embarrassment when questioned later in life.

Image two is also targeting men as they were deemed most important, stronger and the providers of the family in 1876. The whole image portrays American power, freedom and the ‘American way’ – suggesting that by having this stove, you could cook enough food to feed the world. The image is set in 1876, 100 years after Independence Day, which is why the American flag colours are so dominant – the illustrator wanted to assert America’s independence. The black boy by the cooker/range would have been a slave – thus enforcing America’s independent power even further.

Although both images were created for different purposes, they both contain elements that are similar. For example, both portray men as the most important, dutiful gender and so only target men.  These illustrations were drawn around 40 years apart and the relevance of women has not changed.  The posters differ in purpose as one is a war propaganda poster and the other is an advertisement for a cooking range. However, they both use the political situation of the time as a way of portraying an ideal life.

Task 1 Love/Hate

Echo Chernik

Echno Chernik's work has a very distinctive 'style' - art nouveau illustrated posters used in advertising. This is not usually the kind of work that inspires me, however I think that the piece of work above it quite capturing. Even with the brand logo and text on top, the image is not lost. Chernik has used a very limited colour palette using only greens - a complimentary colour for the logo. Chernik's work has opened my mind to and area of illustration I had barely noticed before.

Albert Morell

 Albert Morell's work is often very simple. It uses three design elements very simply, colour, space and line. The thing I like most about his work are the pattern often surrounding the main focus. Generally don't really like simple pieces like this however I can appreciate the skill and creativity it takes to produce such clean vector style work.  I would like to learn these skills because it will not only benefit me as an illustrator but it will help me define my own 'style' and tone of voice.

 Kelly Smith

Kelly Smith's work is predominantly fashion and beauty based. She uses very fine detail along with watercolour and other soft media which creates a very subtle but striking effect. I absolutely love the pale colours she uses with the grey pencil shading. I am very interested in fashion and beauty illustration and Smith's work has to be some of the most inspirational I've come across.

Tim Burton

Although Tim Burton is predominantly a film maker - an area outside of my field, I have always been inspired by him. I have grown up watching his films and have always been captured by the skill and creativity. I love the dark twist his work has and the finely crafted stop motion. I find his work visually very beautiful but I feel it also has some conceptual underlying elements.

Kat Cameron

Upon discovering Cameron's work, I instantly fell in love with the cute characters and pretty colour palettes. The designs are fairly simple and I think the colours and lines all work really well together. From doing some research, I found that I am inspired by similar things as her; "her love of life, cuteness, fun, japanese inspired, vintage homewares, retro designs, babushka dolls, bold colours, kids toys, childrens books, the dark side, bunnys and kittens". This made me realise how much your interests are somewhat illustrated in your work. It helps shape your style and define your tone of voice.