Final Presentation

Presentation | Slide Explanation

Here is the explanation of each slide and the relevance of it's content, this will form the basis of my script for when it comes to presenting however it will be edited down.

Presentation | Alt vs. Accessibility

I'm slowly gathering a lot of bits and pieces to talk about in my presentation. However when I was drawing the mind map I realised another potential area to talk about.

Throughout the year two subjects have continuously cropped up alongside each other, and it has been an ongoing dialogue with myself. I don't think I can fully pick apart this idea yet, but maybe I can just touch upon it within the slides I put together:

The 'Alt' and the 'Accessible'

I enjoy things that are non-exclusive, made for everyone regardless of who they are, however a lot of the references I've made on my blog and my areas of interest encompass 'alternative' aspects of visual culture or ideas of illustration.

It's hard for me to articulate, but this is how I tried to do it:

ACCESSIBLE - for everyone, all ages, genders, classes, ethnicities, etc.

ALT - 'relating to activities that depart from or challenge traditional norms' (unorthodox, unconventional, unusual, irregular, offbeat...)

- a smaller following, but often much more diverse content. tends to be bolder, takes more risks, non-homogenised (e.g. with alt-comics; auto-biographical, surreal, fiction, factual, different narratives, subjects, view points - life, mental health, dreams, etc etc)

....in some ways, I would like to marry these two concepts together in my work. Like "this is for anyone" but it's not pandering to a mass audiences, or trends.

My work isn't on-trend or trendy, but that doesn't mean it can't be commercial.

Presentation | Mind map

I started to make a mind map, hoping that it would help me to generate some content for my presentation. Also, the diagram is a good way of showing links between subjects and thoughts, so it could also help with the structure of the presentation.

Ideally I would like my presentation to be a mixture of personal and academic subjects, because I think these two things are very closely linked. The most important thing is that it flows and makes sense to others.

Here are some notes on the main bits of the diagram:

RESEARCH

• 504: William Burroughs - a heavily researched module

• Polish poster art - has informed my practice in some ways

PROCESS

• Monotype - immediate, lo-fi

• Cut-ups and collage (links to Burroughs)

• Sketchbook - thinking, writing, rough sketches, notes

PROFESSIONALISM

• Do I fit into this? I don't feel comfortable with it

• Don't see myself being a successful commercial illustrator. Can I redefine professionalism for myself?

• Instead of shoe-horning my work into industry niches, can I find places that fit my work naturally?

• TIME - I don't think the aim is to leave uni as a pre-packaged, fully-fledged practicing illustrator. That's not the point. -> Take time to develop, it's an ever-changing thing

EXHIBITIONS

• The idea of curating work or a theme. Could I do this?

• Stedelijk Museum visit - really inspirational from 2016. Found it to be an accessible place with a lot on offer.

        -> Willem Sandberg: Director & Designer - posters as framed pieces of art, museum             branding, simplicity, process-led

        -> Jean Tinguely: Machine Spectacle - explored drawing as a process, drawing                  machines, involved the audiences, fun, open to everyone, multi-disciplinary (books,              drawings, machines, audio-visual, recordings...)

• Experimental Jetset - innovative, organising events and exhibitions, involved in the ideas as well as the art direction.

• Mark Beyer: With/Without Text - all of these different artefacts and pieces of art under one roof, looking at one person's career.

• How do exhibitions begin? Who what where how why? Is it achievable?

PUBLICATIONS

• Zines, 504 publication, Batsford Prize, I enjoy collating works into a finished publication. Something I'd like to expand on in future and possibly work towards.

• Alt-comics - Mark Beyer, AX Manga, Seth, Chester Brown, Breakdown Press. All very inspiring to me this year. Some great narratives as well as how they can be visually portrayed.

Mark Beyer

I ordered this book to the library a while ago. Finding out about Mark Beyer's comics and artwork has made a big impact on me. Everything he makes seems to be entirely his own, and comes from a place that has a feeling of true originality.

Beyer's work appeals to me in terms of its aesthetics, and the bizarre tone of voice, but I'm also drawn to the work because it is shrouded in a fair bit of mystery and is boiled down to a few commissioned projects he has pursued over the years. I enjoy the work because it doesn't seem to be about commercial success, but more about authenticity. 

He also did a few animated shorts for Liquid Television, which was aired on MTV in the 90's. The short was called 'Thomas and Nardo'.

The odd exhibition or project carried out by Beyer was most likely done not only because he was willing to create artwork for that purpose, but the client must have been interested in what he does.

'Mark Beyer: With/Without Text' (2013) was the first Mark Beyer retrospective, which exhibited Tom Wagner's personal collection of his artwork. The show featured early self-published books, objects including trading cards, dolls, as well as silkscreen prints, plexiglass paintings, posters, and magazine covers.

Beyer was also a common contributor to Art Spiegelman's comics anthology RAW magazine, his work being featured in nearly all of the issues.

---

Escape Magazine Interview [link]

With/Without Text - Mark Beyer Exhibition notes [link]

Outsider Art Now - Mark Beyer [link]

Presentation Notes

CONTENT

•  A response to PPP and 503 and how they have reshaped your thinking

• A self-audit. What did you enjoy? Successes and failures? What interests you?

•  Skills, what's happening within your practice -> practitioners, references, industry areas•  What would you like to do next year? Play? experiment?

•  Wishes you want to achieve - contacts, projects, ventures, can be broad

•  Reflect on your work, break your practice down

•  Tell us something about you -> experiences, condense your practice into words, find something about you, identify what you do and what you like, your unique standpoint, what type of work you like making

•  Where your work could appear, contexts, experiences, projects

• NOT an action plan, more about proposals "may do this" "would like to do this" etc.

•  INFORMAL

• Images

Out of Order | Level 6 Show

Last week we briefly visited Colours May Vary to see the work that level 6 had exhibited. There were some really good prints, and it was interesting to see all of the varied responses to the title of the show/theme. 

However what I liked the most were the smaller personal touches, such as business cards, and zines/publications that people had also displayed to look at and/or sell. I found this interesting because I think they are more likely to be picked up, and can be memorable and a unique feature to a show that is predominantly made up of printed work on the wall.

Publications allow the reader to engage with something, have a look, flick through the pages. Maybe this is something I could consider for our own show in May?

 

Introduction to Presentation Skills | Rick Ferguson

• Presentations can be professional, engaging, and memorable

Looking at the following in a presentation:

• Behaviour
• Structure
• Content

Why would you like to improve your presentation skills?

• As part of PPP so I can successfully complete that part of the module, as well as any required presentations, briefings, or pitches I may need to deliver in future.

BEHAVIOUR

Three ways we communicate:

• How we say the words
• Non-verbal (body language)
• The words we use

...body language and the way we carry ourselves is arguably the most important.


• When speaking, we can alter our pitch, volume that we speak at, and the speed

• Don't rely on crutch words (er, okay, right, um, y'know...). Instead, use pauses to emphasise certain words or phrases

• Appropriate eye contact

• Be aware of tics or gestures which we may rely on. Instead, use gestures that reinforce the words you are saying

STRUCTURE

• Bookending - introducing something at the start of the presentation and returning to it at the end. Could be a picture, idea, quotation, story, anecdote...

• Power of 3 - using clusters of 3 things in a speech because it tends to be more memorable. Usually in a sentence, quote, or story. ("I came, I saw, I conquered...")

Example:• Introduction (bookend 1)
• First section
• Second section
• Third section
• Conclusion (bookend 2)

CONTENT

• Head ( where, what, how)
• Heart (why, who, who else)

Logical levels:

1. Environment
2. Behaviour
3. Skills + capabilities
4. Values + beliefs
5. Identity
6. Mission

———

For the sessions after easter...

Prepare and practice a short (1.5 - 2.5 minute) presentation about you.
Consider: Behaviour, structure, content

Work on over the next 3 weeks, practice....

Association of Illustrators Talk

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Study Task | Industry Research Presentation

1) Consider where your practice currently stands and what your ambitions are for its future

I think my work is about communicating something. Whether this is an idea, message, theme, or a feeling/atmosphere.

I enjoy when things have an underlying meaning or narrative - which could be through a publication or more of an editorial piece.

Exploring ideas and concepts visually is something I do, even when it comes to more abstract or intangible ones.

Research and finding things out also informs a great deal of my work, and, in turn, I would like for the audience or viewer to find something out by looking at or reading something I’ve made.

2) The creative professionals you have identified to date, their work and the influence they may have on the development of your practice

Kus! Comics - latvian comics art anthology founded 2007. Each issue revolves around a theme and contains work from both Latvian and international artists. Their aim was to popularize comics in a country where it is not very prominent. They also organise workshops, exhibitions, and other publications. They explore comics in a very varied and diverse way.

The Jaunt - is a creative project that brings together art and travel, providing opportunities for artists by sending them on journeys which they document and turn into printed work. Their trips and their documentation of them will inform the visual work they made. Former artists include Monica Ramos, Jean Jullien, Joost Stokhof, Raymond Lemstra. The project is ran by Jeroen Smeets who curates and plans the journeys. Has a backround in art from editor, to agent, gallery owner, and others. Started the Jaunt in 2013.

3) Who do you intend to approach for an interview and why? What will your line of questioning be? How will this inform your practice?

Breakdown Press

A small contemporary comics publisher based in London. Involved with artist books, alternative comics, cult classics as well as many others.

Their first book, Windowpane by Joe Kessler. As well as distributing The Artist by Anna Haifisch, the Treasure Island series by Connor Willumsen, and a number of Michael DeForge publications.

A sign of the growing comics and illustration scene in the uk. Recently made a deal with Fantagraphics who are a prolific U.S. comics publisher and distributor, so that shows the progress they are making.

Also run Safari Festival - celebrating comics, graphic art and illustration. They only publish work they believe in, and have aspirations to branch out beyond just comics. They also collaborate with printers, bookmakers, designers, as well as the artists themselves to deliver what they do.

Line of questioning? - I was thinking of either contacting them via email, or sending them a letter through the post as a precursor to an email interview, as this is personal and wouldn't just get lost in an inbox.

I have a draft list of questions, and they basically cover the topics of the duties their job entails, how they discover new and exciting work, as well as others including their thoughts on contemporary comics/illustration/graphic art and where they see that going.

How will this inform your practice? - An insight into the work of an independent publisher, what they do, why, and the various connections they have forged and intend to create.

They go beyond just comics publishing, and have ambitions for working to create artist books, photography books, and other publications. They don’t plan to be strictly involved with comics. They are very innovative and what they do comes from a place of personal interest.

Kristyna Baczynski | Visiting Lecturer

Today we had a talk from Kristyna. What I like about her illustration practice is that she assumes many different roles other than just an illustrator, such as a typographer, designer, and printer. She also champions self-publishing and the idea of making work and more work.

Notes from the talk:

• Did a multidisciplinary degree - so dabbled in animation and other subjects, not just illustration

• Year after graduation was difficult ("post-grad wilderness"). Began attending events like Thoughtbubble, putting work online and out in the world.

• Worked as a greetings card designer for three years. Was tough managing that as well as personal work but was valuable experience.

• Now generates a lot of self-initiated work and projects, as well as work for external clients. Self-sustaining, works from home studio and riso prints a lot of objects herself.

• Client work began in a local vicinity (Hyde Park Picture House), but gradually snowballed to include some international clients. Amongst others; GOSH! Comics, Fantagraphics (!!), Etsy, Chipotle, New York Times, OFF LIFE, other publications...

• Said to always be making and extending your practice.

Shigeru Miwa

I recently found some illustrations by Miwa, and besides some illustrative work for a book of poems I can't seem to find much else about this person. Although the illustrations are intended for children's books, I like that they still have a weird otherworldly tone. 

"Shigeru Miwa’s ‘Only One Me’ is a children’s book that’s illustrated beautifully and minimally with the poems of Shuntaro Tanikawa. Portraying melancholic duo-tones, the story revolves around a little boy’s observation on Alzheimer’s disease. Not much is known about the illustrator but Shuntaro is one of Japan’s most well-known poets that wrote the original lyrics to ‘Astro Boy’."

[link]

Leeds Comic Fair | Thoughts

I attended the comic fair yesterday and thought it would be a good experience and worth trying, especially seeing as the table was paid for this time round. I saw it as a test run for similar events, as I've never held a table to display my own work before.

Unfortunately, I do think that the audience of the comics fair were more interested in 'traditional' comic books and no so much illustration, graphic art, and zines. I sort of felt like I was trying to align myself with a crowd that wasn't there.

However it was definitely a learning curve not only in terms of displaying work and setting up there, but the processes of making it all. Figuring out individual dimensions of things, printing, and booking print slots and using the vinyl cutter (!!)

I managed to set myself a number of short deadlines to create these more personal works alongside scheduled sessions and module work.

It was a good excuse to generate a new series of smaller personal pieces, and I also went through the steps of production, turning them into more presentable finished items.

The work I created included: 3 postcard designs, a 12 page zine, a mini comic, a number of sticker designs, and business cards. I found making the work and seeing it all come together to be quite rewarding, and it was nice making things just for the sake of it.

Dominic Kesterton | Visiting Lecturer

Today we had a talk from Dominic Kesterton. He is a freelance illustrator working in print and publication, editorial, as well as many applied and product illustration formats. 

Has created many self-initiated zines, and explored how comics could be made in a non-conventional way. Such as non-linear, non-narrative, and using panels unusually or not at all. I found this part to be really interesting.

[link]

Sometimes the publications he made weren't strictly comics at all, he described his publication called Hoss Bay about 'seaweed pickers' as more of an encyclopedia - a place for all of his illustrations and the world they come from to belong in. From sequential images, to character designs, to made-up languages and histories. All forming a way of telling a story or narrative in a more engaging, rich format!

I really love these images of Hoss Bay. Because of the meaning that has been created for this little book, it seems much more thought-out and has depth.

He also mentioned the use of simplified characters that didn't necessarily have a complete backstory, but just existed within the odd publication or illustrative piece. Referred to them as 'micro narratives'. 

With the 'resolved' pieces being very considered and controlled, he said the sketchbook is a place for him to be much more loose and playful with drawing. It didn't have to be perfect.

When working for clients, he said many pick and choose parts of his work that they enjoy. Some even send an image of a previous piece of work and say "we want this".
Personally, I would find this very frustrating. And it would suggest that they see the work as just an aesthetic or style, not as a meaningful/conceptual thing.

However, in some ways what I liked about his practice is that it could be made to suit many different purposes and contexts. Being placed in a magazine to accompany an article, or applied to apparel and other items, or even just as a printed piece of artwork.

Reading Articles

Reading this article from It's Nice That, and I think the content of the article isn't that forthright but I really enjoyed a response left by Rob Lowe (supermundane) regarding illustration and the topics addressed. In particular this bit:

"I agree that illustration needs to become better but that means people engaging with ideas over just style. For an illustrator to have a cohesive and critical outlook on life normally takes time, a lot longer than the four years given here from made-it-to-past-it.

If anything, many illustrators are given the limelight too early and maybe it would be better for them to be developing at a more natural rate and then promoted when their work actually means something and they have developed an opinion as well as a style."

Well done, Rob. This is important to me and has made me think.

Leeds Comic Fair

I've been interested in participating in this year's comic fair, thinking about creating work to display and sell. We were told that LCA would offer Level 5 and 6 students a number of tables, and I thought this would be a good opportunity to test run being a stall-holder at this type of event.

I've never been to this particular comic fair before, but I think that involving those in illustration will make the fair seem broader - involving print based media, and graphic/illustrative art - not just traditional comics.

Part of what we had to do was publicise the event, so I made some quick poster designs on the photocopier (DIY!!) and printed a few of them on coloured paper.

Above are some mockups I made from cutting out pieces of photocopied drawings I had made. I eventually chose one and put some around college. I chose to work in this way because it was a quick process, could be cheaply printed, and meant I couldn't spend too much time deliberating over when it was finished.

Tin Can Forest

Tin Can Forest is the name of Canadian artists Pat Shewchuk and Marek Colek who work collaboratively. Their work is interesting to me because their collective name encompasses a body of work that is cohesive, following a similar realm of themes and moods; relating to slavic folklore and the occult.

These themes seem deeply researched in their visual works, or as if they come from a place of interest because of the level of detail/authenticity to them.

As well as that, I find what they do to be appealing because it spans across more than one creative medium. From publishing books, prints and paper-based items, creating sequential illustration, to dabbling in animation and film. By working across all of these different formats it gives the 'world' they have created through their practice a greater level of depth.

Wax Cross (2012), cover and page

When thinking about my own practice I like the idea of working on many varied projects, not limiting myself to one 'type' of illustration or visual art. Tin Can Forest have worked with different writers, which in a way offers them the opportunity to put their visual stamp on and/or enhance someone else's concept through the use of illustration.

Being able to work on many different projects from interlinking fields of the creative industries is a very exciting possibility to me, allowing you to think in different ways and not always be doing the same thing. This would also bring about the chance to collaborate with those who have different skills from your own, such as those working in animation, design, etc.

What is a Witch (2016) cover

Stedelijk Museum | Karel Appel

The Appel Wall, Stedelijk website

Another artist that had their work exhibited at the museum was Karel Appel, and I was instantly taken with it. The childish, messy appearance of the paintings really appealed to me. They seemed very immediate, straight from Appel's head, and didn't come off like they needed to be understood or dissected by the viewer.

This huge wall mural was painted in 1956, and has been restored by the museum. Even though it was from over 60 years ago it looked so new and vibrant.

poster, 1962

Amongst Appel's inspirations are primitive art, children's drawings, and the artist Jean Dubuffet (art brut). Although his work faced a lot of negative criticism during the early years, I think it could very well appeal to contemporary audiences due to the graphic appearance. I like how the work isn't elitist, or staunch in its attitude. It's just expressive and, I think, made on a gut feeling.

Two Owls and Untitled