Throughout this Research and Communication Skills module I have enjoyed exploring the history of art, its development from movement to movement and seeing how artists respond to social, political and cultural issues of their time through their artwork. I have now realised how important it is to understand and to keep up with contemporary issues as I can use these as a source of inspiration or as a starting point in future projects. Understanding how artists of different art periods responded to their issues can help me to understand how to respond to contemporary issues in appropriate and relevant ways. For each art movement a set of designers, illustrators and photographers were presented and I see this collection of creatives as resource I can look back to if I need inspiration or am stuck whilst working on a project.

A lecture that was of particular interest was about the Avant Garde and discussing the influence of technology in the industry. Throughout my projects I almost never used technology to aid me and the same goes for my own personal projects, which is probably why I haven’t developed a reliance on it and why I never understood why artists revered it so much as a creative tool. It was only at art foundation where I first came into contact with software such as Dragonframe, Adobe Illustrator and Indesign that I fully understood its potential. Without the help of technology the comics that I read would not be as captivating as they are. Furthermore, during this lecture I understood that using technology to create art doesn’t have to be considered as ‘cheating’ but can be used to aid creatives to fully realise their ideas. However, I also believe that it is important to not be heavily reliant on technology as it does not give you all the answers and it is helpful to go back to basics with pen and paper.

An influential reference I came across in the lecture series was Wes Wilson, who designed some of the most well known concert posters of the 1960s, work “that combines an incredible kaleidoscope of vibrant acid colors with highly creative hand-drawn lettering and illustration”¹ As an illustrator who finds it difficult to employ typographical skills his work is of most interest to me due to the fact that he is working with both image and text, so whilst creating fantastic imagery he is still applying typographic rules. I struggle to combine the two elements together so it is always helpful to explore how other designers use them in their work and see what I can learn and then use in my own practise. Additionally, Wilson uses the lithograph technique to create his posters and after completing the illustration rotation with a screen-printed comic, I am much more interested in the printing medium and I like to see the different outcomes it can produce whilst also exploring and pushing its limits.

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In May 1968, in a response to “..the increasing levels of unemployment and poverty..” (Sinclair, M. 2008). ¹ students and staff came together to create the the Atelier Populaire, an association which “..went on to produce hundreds of silkscreen posters..” (Sinclair, M. 2008). ² The poster I have chosen is a simple image of “Popular Power”³. This simple imagery is very powerful in its communication as it clearly suggests a revolution, or a demand for change depicted by rolling as a ball towards the political parties in a head on collision. The use of one bold colour further communicates this demand as it makes the viewer read only that message and see only that image. Although printed in 1968 this still resonates within the current political climate of our country.

My next image is a poster from the Occupy Wall Street Movement by Alexandra Clotfelter, titled ‘The Beginning is Near’⁴. It depicts a dynamic image, packing “a visual punch” (Watercutter, A. 2011) ⁵ of a struggling bull, representing Wall Street and its greed and excess, being held back by tied rope around its body and horns. The movement highlighted economic inequality worldwide and the rope pulling the bull back represents the retribution from the people that the bankers are receiving for their greed. The fact that the bull is pulling away suggests an unwillingness from Wall Street to do anything and the ropes represent the force and power of the demands from the movement for change.

Finally, I have chosen the cover to Adbusters 100^th publication, ‘Are We Happy Yet?’⁶. It portrays a massive, classic American burger but stacked high with 10 meat patties. Links can easily be drawn to consumerist culture, greed, wealth and the idea that what we have is not enough, not being happy with what we have and always wanting more. The composition of the cover consists of solely the burger and this one image, along with the tag line, is effective in communicating everything the reader needs to know but also for the reader to draw their own conclusions, but still based on what the magazine wants to communicate.

The Memphis Group is an Italian design and architecture group “known for wild colors, crazy patterns, and exaggerated shapes” (Zara, J. 2015). Memphis was about trying to break away from the minimalist designs of the 1970s and so in contrast designed bright, colourful pieces, drawing from Art Deco and Pop Art movements. One of their most iconic creations is the “Carlton” Room Divider designed by Ettore Sottsass. I find it to be a fun and playful spin on your everyday furniture design because of the illogical yet simple idea of slanted shelves. I enjoy how there doesn’t seem to be enough space on the shelves, or the spaces seem too small because they are interacting with something else. This deconstructs the idea of a shelf, to simply hold books and other objects.

My second image is ‘Retrospect’ by Keith Haring, a series of 24 cartoons made with the screen-printing technique. I enjoy the easy viewing of the images and how with such simple detail an environment is created with characters that have movement and energy, exclamation or surprise. Each image is placed one after the other and feels like a series of television screens showing different lives, different stories where you can only catch a glimpse because there is so much happening. In their simplicity, the images require no context because they are so easy to understand. Their straightforward design helps this too. Blocks of colour outlined by black come together to form clear shapes and create a series of signs that communicate the human body.

My final image is a poster created by designer Jayme Odgers, in collaboration with April Greiman. I enjoy seeing how all the different perspectives interact with each other and how the elements of the poster come together, for example the type on the bottom right hand corner and the nearby shapes. I also enjoy the way the composition is put together. The overlapping images focus the energy of the composition into the centre of the poster. Since I am not a natural graphic designer the composition of images does not come easy for me, so it is helpful to discover ways of creating images with deconstructed elements that communicate just as well as a clean, minimalist style.

1.  Zara, J. (2015). Neo-Memphis Design: It Came From the ‘80s. [online] WSJ. Available at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/neo-memphis-design-it-came-from-the-80s-1426885689 [Accessed 21 Nov. 2017].
2. Sottsass, E. (1981). “Carlton” Room Divider. [Wood, plastic laminate] New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
3. Haring, K. (1989). Retrospect. [Silkscreen].
4. Odgers, J. and Greiman, A. (1980). untitled. [offset lithograph on paper].

Wes Wilson “is generally acknowledged as the father of the ’60s rock concert poster” (Erlewine, M. n.d.) and as someone who is interested in illustration his work is hugely motivating. He uses Lithography to create his posters and having just finished an illustration brief where I used screen printing, I am now interested in printing and its various forms. His poster ‘The Sound’ is the one image that stands out to me the most. The illustration of the woman is first and foremost, as she is in the centre and is brighter than the surrounding text. I admire his use of clean, simple lines to create her form, which is accentuated by the text.

Another image I came across was a cover for the ‘The East Village Other’. The colour red was the first element that stood out to me as it is associated with revolution and reminiscent of Communism. I also enjoy the collage, cut and paste style, it feels rough and unrefined but so that the message is still communicated clearly, proving that a simple style can go a long way in communication. This newspaper was created using an offset lithography printing technique, which is a technique I’d like to use when creating multiple editions. The main picture is made of two images. The image of the man is small against the backdrop of the flag, but is still powerful as it the white contrasts the red.

My last image is a poster for a Pink Floyd gig by artist Bob Masse. I absolutely adore the use of the classic psychedelic colours such as green, pink and red, which are then used in a style inspired by art nouveau and painter Alphonse Mucha. The illustration of the woman is equally beautiful and inspiring. She is graceful in her pose, about to drink a coffee, surrounded by flowers in her hair and on her dress. I enjoy the way the text of ‘Pink Floyd’ is coming out the cup in the way that steam does. The blue frame reminds of the frames on stained glass windows in a house or in a church, and gives the image a vintage feel, adding to the art nouveau style.

Wes Wilson. (n.d.). A Brief Biography, by Michael Erlewine. [online] Available at: http://www.wes-wilson.com/a-brief-biography-by-michael-erlewine.html [Accessed 8 Nov. 2017].

Wilson, W. (1966). The Sound. [Lithograph] Museum of Modern Art.

East Village Other (1968). p.cover. [offset printed]

Masse, B. (1966). Pink Floyd Marquee Club.

To be truly authentic is to be ‘not false or copied; genuine; real’, therefore it can be argued that it is impossible to be authentic, especially in today’s modern culture where the sharing of information is now easier than ever. Throughout my creative practise I always research beforehand, whether it is a practitioner, a theory, a technique or medium. If I come across something that is inspiring and use it to develop my work, am I copying an idea or am I reworking it in my own vision?

David Quay states that “…each period has the type it needs, one which reflects an overall cultural pattern” (Broos, K and Quay, D. 2003). Going by this, it is arguable that every piece of art created during differing art movements aren’t truly authentic, because although they might faithfully represent their respective movements, are they are just reworkings of the same idea over and over again? On the other hand, it can be argued that the creatives are being authentic because they aren’t copying each other’s work, simply the idea.

Furthermore, the definition of authentic does not necessarily have to mean copied. It can mean if a piece of work successfully embodies the idea or inspiration that’s behind it. Take for example the photographs of Paul Strand, authentic because they capture “a subversive alternative to the studio portrait of glamour and power. A new kind of portrait..” (The Met, 2004). By revealing “the strains of living in the city” (Mutti, G. 2016), he captured an authentic, grittier city, the underbelly of New York that was unfamiliar at the time because it had not been documented.

1Dictionary.com. (2017). the definition of authentic. [online] Available at: http://www.dictionary.com/browse/authentic [Accessed 1 Nov. 2017].

2 Broos, K. and Quay, D. (2003). Wim Crouwel Alphabets. 1st ed. BIS Publishers.

3 Department of Photographs. “Paul Strand (1890–1976).” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/pstd/hd_pstd.htm (October 2004)

4 Mutti, G. (2016). How Paul Strand Paved the Way For Photographic Modernism. [online] AnOther. Available at: http://www.anothermag.com/art-photography/8482/how-paul-strand-paved-the-way-for-photographic-modernism [Accessed 1 Nov. 2017].

5 Collections.vam.ac.uk. (2017). Yawning Woman, New York | Strand, Paul | V&A Search the Collections. [online] Available at: http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O190912/yawning-woman-new-york-photograph-strand-paul/ [Accessed 1 Nov. 2017].

As a practitioner in today’s creative world I believe that technology, whether old or new, is an essential tool in any studio. Without technology we couldn’t create work inspired by the past or by the future, whether that is old printing techniques or digital art. Technology allows us to expand upon the traditional canvas, create new mediums and produce more creative and engaging pieces of work. Take for example the work of comic book colourist Alex Sinclair, whose work is “brought to life through Photoshop and the collaborative world of comics.”¹ (Berghe, L. 2017) Through his work, the Photoshop programme is a canvas used to colour. My favourite work of his is with Ethan Van Sciver on The Flash: Rebirth² (Johns, G. 2013) and shows that without colour, comics would be half of what they are today and thus technology only serves for the betterment of this form of entertainment.

This being said, on the other end of the spectrum there are beautifully illustrated works conceived without the use of technology. Digital art may not be the right medium as it might not suit the vision of the artist or isn’t suitable for the story. Written by Jeff Lemire and illustrated by Dustin Nguyen, Descender³ (Lemire, J. 2015) is a perfect example of this. Nguyen’s exquisitely painted illustrations bring Lemire’s sprawling saga to life and perfectly exemplifies how technology does not always have to be the go to medium to create stunning artwork. Therefore, the use of technology depends on the creator or the collaborators but it cannot be underestimated in a creative environment.

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My first image is what is highly regarded as a classic comic book cover, Brian Bolland’s 1988 ‘Batman: The Killing Joke’. This iconic image “has become perhaps the defining drawing of the villain”¹ (Every, M. 2017) and the art within this comic is one of the main reasons why I always recommend it. The image is getting up close and personal with the viewer, as if the joke is on you. I feel like this cover suggests that the Joker is almost inviting the viewer into his world of chaos and madness, especially from his expression but most of all with his eyes. Yet the text box says “Smile!” which gives a strange and almost ironic light-hearted presence to the image. In this way the cover connects with the viewer, drawing them in as a part of the story rather than being an audience.

The image I am comparing Bolland’s cover to is Dorothea Lange’s 1936 portrait of the ‘Migrant Mother’ which “became the iconic photo of the Depression”² (Phelan, B. 2017). I am drawn in by the look on the woman’s face and further by her eyes, and can see her pain and suffering reflected within them. The expression on her face is so important, communicating her fears and worries and whilst not directly addressing the viewer, immediately invites them to understand what she is going through. The portrait gives us a glimpse of this era in American history, humanises the struggles that many went through and showcased the reality of the Depression.

In this lecture we watched a short documentary film called ‘Terminal Bar’ (2002) by Stefan Nadelman. Through photographs taken by bartender Sheldon Nadelman the film communicates a social narrative of the last 10 years of the bar from 1972-1982. The film showcases the gritty reality of the bar and its customers. The visual narrative is communicated by the ageing of the customers in the photographs and accompanied by the anecdotes of Sheldon, representing the idea of time and its passing. Time is the strongest theme throughout.

The main focus for this film would be centered around the photographs and how their presentation communicates the narrative. This would have to be considered alongside the narration, music, the video recordings of Sheldon and other aspects, such as the excerpts taken from then current newspapers. Their presentation would have to successfully communicate time, showcase the bar, its location and the age and range of the customers. There are no recordings of the bar so the photographs would also have to be manipulated to suggest footage. In one instance, the camera flicks between 2-3 images and the changing positions of the subjects recreates the idea of film footage.

The music is also a very important part of the film, as it dictates the sequence and movement of the images. The images move or disappear and fade to black or to another image to the beat. The social narrative is also strenghtened by the music as a way to reflect on what was happening at the time: a fast paced tempo to represent action and a slower tempo to suggest a calmer time.