graphics essay
DESCRIPTION
This is my essay which is for graphicsTRANSCRIPT
Does Illustration maintain its true aesthetic in a commercial context? Introduction: In this essay I will be exploring the question ‘Does Illustration maintain its true aesthetic in a commercial context?’ This question is asking the viewer of the art whether Artwork is still the same even if it’s used in commercial use like TV adverts, posters, billboards or the side of buses. Many questions can be raised around this, like whether the value of the work is increased or decreased for example is a painting like ‘The Mona Lisa’, will the value of it’s orginial go down if it is replicated for a commercial purpose so all they can sell them to customers/collectors of art? Because of the way the they are presented to the general public, Many can agree with this statement because it’s the personal opinion and views but I will critic and examine what I think of the work and how I think it has increased or decreased in value. I will be looking at a few artists and a few designers to compare and contrast their work with each other and to also see if there work has lost their value when used for commercial purposes. I am also going to compare the difference which each artist in what their art style is and to also determine which artists work has more value or is to be devalued from commercialism depending on what the art work is created for. Michelle Thompson Michelle Thompson has been at the forefront of illustration since graduating from the Royal College of Art in 1996. She has worked successfully in publishing, editorial and design. Her illustrations have appeared internationally, most notably in collaboration with the influential British designer Vaughan Oliver. Michelle has also illustrated Cherie Blair's book, 'The Goldfish Bowl'. She illustrates a regular column for The Globe and Mail in Toronto. Michelle Thompson’s work looks rather simplistic in the style, the lack of colour within her pictures, she also has ds lot of free space within the frame of the picture, meaning she may have done it for a reason. Her work also looks hand made as if she had cut outs of her images and placed them in places on the page where she found them appropriate. With the lack of colour it can give the viewer a sense of mood or to give the piece an aged appearance to
reflect something in the past. The images within her work seem to be all her own photos that she has taken and then placed them on a page to make the picture, there is also material that she has used, like something off wallpaper to give the texture on the page. The colours are limited to the page or material colours, then all the images she has taken are all black and white to not conflict with the other colours being used. The photos and other things are all placed centerly of the page but there is a fair amount of negative space with in the frame as well near the images she has placed within the frame. In art today the general public would think that this image was digitally manipulated to make the colours appear black and white on a coloured part of the picture as if edited in photoshop or some other programme. I will try to use Michelle Thompson’s work as an idea to base my work on, and then go from there with experimentation in my efforts to try the best results for my final piece, with the experiments I can then look at what worked and what didn’t go so well and learn from my mistakes and improve my outcomes. But with this artist is their work devalued from commercialism? I think it is a mixture of yes and no, The reason I think this is because Michelle uses found objects for her work which is like every day, and that this is an illustrator’s work, not a painter. It is created using found imagery and is put together on the computer and you think this devalues it? In my opinion it doesn’t because it is unique to use this style of work. Although it is more difficult to see meaning and aesthetic value in a work created to sit along side a written article than in an artwork that has surface and texture. Howard Hodgkin in context to Michelle Thompson Howard Hodgkin first started painting in 1962 his early work was ‘made up of hard-‐edged curved forms in a limited number of colours.’ This piece has clever characteristics to it as you can make out specific shapes and has a more diverse colour pallet instead of sticking with a limited colour range instead of the numerous colours and textures with this piece above. Howard Hodgkin was one of twelve contempary artists who were asked to paint an image for one of the London Olympic posters, The image over the page was created to promote events in the aquatics centre. I think it is a good piece because it represents what it is supposed to be promoting so the aim of the poster has been met with the target audience. with the poster promoting water
sports, we can tell this because of the blue paint he has used and the fact that it looks washed out. One chose to ask the questopn whether commercialism will de-‐value the of a consumer is involved. Some would say yes it does because the amount of sponsors who back the pieces of artists may believe that taking them down a
commercial route would create higher returns and increase the vaule of the original piece of art. However the investors may get the money money instead of the painter. With the commercial route however it will give the artist more recognition and fame, therefore more value for the works made in the future. So is the Artists work devalued from commercialism? I think not because of the fact that one painting was a promotional picture for the Olympics and that the organizers of the event wanted to commission someone to make them a poster for the water sports events of the Olympics. Commercialism also increased it’s value because of the fact it is sponsored by the Olympics and other companies it makes it’s value as
well. In comparison with Michelle Thompson it has a higher standard of work to what Michelle Thompson has done, because of the fact this a physical painting that was commissioned by the Olympics and Michelle Thompsons work is known in many places in physical print and on the internet to view. The same is true of Howard Hodgkin but the work is backed by one of the biggest sporting events and also other companies which adds value to the work, plus saying that about how it is, it is also a physical painting and also on the internet to be viewed. Because this is produced as a painting first it has a interesting surface quality. Andy Potts Is a London based illustrator/animator, originally from Kingswinford in the West Midlands. Since graduating with a BA Hons degree in illustration from Portsmouth in 95 his career has comprised image making, graphic design, animation and art direction including
a 7 year stint as Lead designer at Abbey Road Studios. Over the last ten years the illustration has taken centre stage and I've worked on numerous commissions with a wide variety of clients in advertising, book covers and editorial work for international newspapers and magazines. My versatile style is a contemporary fusion of traditional and new techniques mixing hand crafted elements with digital collage and lots of colour. The work that Andy Potts has produced has a lot of colour to catch the viewers eye, putting especially with vibrant colours and having in interesting placements to form strong composition. I am also interested in the fact that the images of illustration that is used are in a editorial piece or magazine, that the image was on one side of the page and the other page has information. The picture is used for informative purposes like in the shape of a planet, meaning its something to do with the environment and the other can be for athletics and sports. With this piece of work that Andy has done, they all look digitally manipulated as if worked on in photoshop and then moved the picture into something that can make magazines or pamphlets. This work has a large modern feel and rather futuristic feel to it. Because of it’s digitally edited appearance it gives it more appeal to our generation. I will try and use Andy Potts style of work in my own work for experimentation and to work toward my final piece, with the experimentation I will be able work out what went well within the piece I have produced and what I think could have been improved to make it look better. The work is communicating with the viewers in a clear distinct way to keep their attention and to send a message of what they are trying to advertise in these leaflets/flyers to the public. Is the work devalued from commercialism? I have to disagree because the artist intention is for a commercial purpose meaning that the work has it’s own value with the commercial industry because it is to be used for the general public to see and it must be eye catching to draw the viewer in. In comparison with the other artists it relates to Michelle Thompson a lot because it is an illustration which is interesting to look at and to possibly pass over a message to the viewer. It has no correlation to Howard Hodkins standard because it is not supported for high priority as to what Hodgkin did because his work was commissioned by the Olympics to promote the water sports of the Olympic games, therefore it has a higher price/value for the fact they paid the artist to create something for a major world event. Conclusion In conclusion I have mixed views on whether an artists work can be devalued from the commercial industry. I am open to the question because of the fact there is many things to consider with their work because if they are to be used for a higher cause E.g. A major event they would be paid to produce something for the particular event that it is to represent. Though the major point which could be a problem for an artist to make something for a higher cause is whether the fact he will be credited for what he/she has done for the event because then they could lose out on potential money that could be
profited off the work they have done for the simple fact the commissioner has not credited the artist and therefore takes all the glory for him/herself. With an illustrator it is different because they are not hired to produce a work of art because they are trying to get attention with visually stunning pieces of work which has a an entirely different set value for their work. This can be for commercial purposes or just to get themselves a reputation amongst the world that they can produce some good pieces of work, or to vouch different views and opinions in a rather expressionistic or extreme way this can be controversial amongst society or to the political people and it could be seen as offensive to some people, Some can think, is there a line of where it can be art or can it be propaganda against certain views?