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.