Contextual Influences Lecture 1- Accessibility
Lecture 1: Wednesday 10th March
Accessibility
This was the first of three lectures over the next three weeks leading up to defining an essay topic. Since so much of the illustration degree is practical, I enjoy the contextual influences module as it allows you to research different areas that you're interested in but might not get to explore in other, practical-led projects. Last years contextual project focused on art movements that influenced the 21st Century, whereas, this time it focuses on the potential impact of emerging factors that may influence future industry direction.
During this lecture, I made notes on topics that could influence my essay. This post is mostly for me to look back on as I was interested in the question, 'How printed and digital media coexist in the digital age?' so I focused on relating information to this.
General notes taken-
- The importance of making work meaningful, think about your target audience and how they will engage with it. Whether it relates to current news, political/social viewpoint.
- Promotion is key, collaboration and community engagement. Art should be accessible for all. If you're wanting to target a specific audience or agency, you need to go about it professionally, send them your work or show you can work in a way that would fit their company and boost your portfolio.
- Defining your specialism. Whether it's collaborative or freelance, children's books/publishing, advertising, graphic design and branding, editorial. Appropriate visibility (online presence)
Networking in Todays World
- Networking in trade fairs (Zines, Craft, Comic-Con, Seasonal, Print) has all moved online due to Covid-19, marks the start of a digital shift. London Illustration Fair was moved online.
- CONSISTENCY is key at trade fairs, you have to present yourself as a recognisable brand so viewers can clearly see what your work is. These are really good for independent creatives to develop an audience/visual handwriting. Allows them to network and mix with like-minded people.
- Not as good for commercial artists or people who work with many specialisms. An audience can be confused and not as engaged; have to consider AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT. A hard balance to get right, whether you narrow down to one specific style/specialism such as printmaking and keep other fields separate without losing your love for experimentation.
- Have current circumstances affected the way we view and experience art?
- Necessity to have in-person exhibitions? This has definitely changed during lockdown with so many exhibitions now being held online, the likes of Pictoplasma hosted their yearly conference online in summer last year. Could argue that there was so much more to see, you can rewatch all 4 days of streams from artists worldwide which would have been impossible in-person. However, it REDUCES THE EXPERIENCE from a social aspect, not as much opportunity to network and engage with other creatives.
- Pictoplasma was able to include artists from all over the world to be involved in the conference which increased the opportunity for variation and DIVERSITY.
- The argument that people are less confident to share their work due to LESS SOCIAL INTERACTION. You need to be good at promoting yourself and making contacts that will benefit your career- much harder to do solely online.
Influence of Social Media
- Fast-paced, incredibly adaptable. Can encourage or diminish creativity depending on motivation.
- Popular apps for creatives: Instagram, Behance and LinkedIn
- Behance is curated, you can search by creative fields and find portfolios making a more professional platform. Instagram is more friendly and good for connecting with people but less refined, so many trends and artists its harder to find job opportunities/employers.
- Building up connections and following illustrators your able to see trends, at the minute small heads and long limbs, unrealistic body proportions are popular and have lots of commercial viability.
- AUTHENTICITY of ideas, something that can be challenging on Instagram. It can be OVERWHELMING and hard to find motivation when it feels like every character, landscape, book idea has already been explored.
Print vs Digital- Change How We View Art
- Being someone who loves printmaking and the process that comes with it, it's hard to think that the increase in digital processes is taking over and DIMINISHING THE IMPORTANCE of this art form.
- Thinking about the senses, more are fulfilled with printed pieces such as screenprint or risoprint. From the smell of ink to the texture of materials and paper, its a more satisfying process that deserves to be seen in more ways than on a photo on a photo. Lacking emotion or ability to enjoy the effort that has gone into making it.
- So many printing processes to explore, old methods of bookbinding and intaglio are used by creatives who would be exhibiting at print fairs. Maybe older so not as nifty with technology or able to generate an audience on Instagram.
- CHANGE IN INTERACTION
- Viewing format, most people will be viewing on a phone which alters the way they interact with the piece.
- Generally speaking, its harder to generate interest in printmaking, the audience is slightly older and the outcomes often aren't as diverse as digital processes allow. More defined with attention to mark making and detail whereas digital outcomes make use of colour, shape and layers.
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| Natalie Andrewson, Risoprint shown via Instagram. Change in the way we experience artwork |
The digital evolution of new drawing apps like Procreate on Ipad and tablets how has made creating art more accessible, both with price and convenience. Photoshop is expensive and harder to understand. Although these programs are great, they make something that would take hours to do properly, take a few minutes using shortcuts on apps. There are definitely two sides to this argument but I feel like by simplifying the process, it reduces the need for talent and saturates the industry with similar, graphic styles using shapes and textures. This may be too harsh an outlook. Relate to diluting ideas, certain styles have been overdone on social media and have therefore become redundant.
I remember watching Jon Burgerman's talk for the Pictoplasma Conference last summer. He talked through his journey and experience in the creative industry and the importance of stripping things back and making what you love. Burgerman spoke about how he gets tired of making the same thing so likes to keep trying new methods. It's easy to get wound up by limiting yourself to one style to appeal to your audience (to create a recognisable style) but you need to love what you do. Don't limit your abilities for the purpose of other peoples enjoyment, lack emotion. Relating back to social media and viewing print, he talked so honestly to show that even commercial and established artists struggle with finding motivation in an industry that is growing so rapidly. Something to think about for the essay.
Instagram and other social platforms are bigger than ever, creatives can explore political and social events in a relatable way, a way to portray your viewpoint in a lighthearted/non-forceful way. My favourite illustrator, Oliver Jeffers uses his Instagram platform to promote all that's good in the world, while bringing light to important matters. He is inspired by what's happening at the minute and without forcing his opinion on others, does an amazing job which is part of why he is so successful. Take advantage of shared opinions, people will have similar viewpoints and outlook on today's world.
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| Oliver Jeffers, This Way Up, 2018 |
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