Miro

I have brought a couple of books in for you Sarah. There are also some new Polish Books in the library that have arrived and have not been out on the shelves yet. Perhaps if you asked they would let you look? Here is Miro's take on the theme of 'Circus' there is a wonderful sense of space and drama.

Gary P and 'Durutti Column' album Covers!

I have always been over fond of the work of Gary Prendergast! At last i'm finally informing you of it! Particularly his cut and paste technique, which is where the technique behind my illustrations emerged from. This first came about, when working with Gary for a while in the second year, when creating an artist book! After being informed of this technique, the project somehow fell into place, and I have only very recently been working with this cut and paste way of working, referenced within the 'Location brief'. I utilised this technique with a slightly different means of communication and became more computer reliant as opposed to Gary who maintains the aesthetic touch within his work. Yet I feel this way of working suits me best! I also had a quick peak at an influence that Gary P mentioned in his blog, (as you can see from the image below) and again fell in love with the work. This is a link featuring some of the music covers for the 'Durutti Column'. 

http://www.cerysmaticfactory.info/durutti_column_discography.html

I spoke to Gary P, not too long ago about his work, discussing the issue that once these 3D juxtaposed creations were finished, how would you then generate them to become an Illustration, maintaining the aesthetic? This too, was a topic i discussed within my journal as the majority of illustrations are computer generated or rendered. After experimenting on the photocopier, which has now become a key element in my generation of work, darkening and lightening areas as much as I could so you can still visibly clarify that there has been a cut and paste technique used, I then scanned this in and cropped various areas, utilising photoshop tools to find the best outcome when overlapping the 'cut and paste' ephemera and the computer generated illustration.

     

Alvin Lustig

I can't remember how I came across these pieces, but it was whilst i was creating the cover jacket for the barcelona project that I was looking into Alvin Lustig. I think his use of space is complimentary. i love his use of shape and not always but his colours are quite striking too, but placement and use of space is something i'm still yet to crack and the size of objects, whether or not, they are too busy for an image, which is when i began to inform my work with shape. Referring to the self-initiated brief, the location brief, the shape element (i found) held my images together much better.

These Lustig pieces, particularly the bottom, exemplify the scale of some shapes and how they can aid a design (from my point of view). I love this piece, especially the placement of type, which i was again looking at for the barcelona project. having been already told that the type had a specific place, I was able to work around it with various means and media, the bottom piece of these Lustig Illustrations, for book cover jackets, aided that. Maybe you cant quite see the connection, but it inspired me!

Barcelona: Book Cover and inner designs

Following on from the self-initiated brief, I followed the same practice, with the cut and paste technique, collected ephemera and photographs to create these mixed media juxtapositions. the cover over all works in a number of ways better than the other two. the type has been purposely integrated within the image and not simply just placed. The colour scheme is continued from that of the last brief, but working with one or two colours and their tones instead of an array of colours. The cover has been more considered in terms of placement and consideration of space, I like the incorporation of a silhoutte object or figure within my work  and also flat blocks of shape. being informed by illustrators such as Jim Flora. I was also looking into the work of Rodchenko from the constructivist movement. I admire his photography just as much as his photomontage, and the way he captured his subjects from alternate angles.

Technology/ Digital Craft by David Crow

After being informed of the new 'eye magazine' I began to read up on an issue that has been discussed by David Crow, which interested me and brought me to think of my own work, in relation to the way I work, with a 'hands on' approach instead of relying completely on the computer, but letting the handmade practice and efficency of this practice inform my work.

Crow discusses how the hand crafted design is a symbolic tool of the person, it depicts who they are.

"The hand is an important metaphorical signal for the presence of the individual in craft, and is central in the symbolism  surrounding the historic tension between man and machine , and more recently between global and local culture."

Arts and Crafts:

"If William Morris was the figurehead of the movement, the John Ruskin was it's inspiration: 'For it is not the material, but the absense of human endeavour, which makes the thing worthless' (Seven Lamps of Architecture, 1849). 

One lasting principle of the movement is the claim that art has a place outside the gallery; that art can be found in things that are useful. Industry was a 'beast without hands' that made dull and monotonous objects (and as Karl Marx later suggested, would do untold damage to the human experience). Hands were celebrated as capable of probing the world, bringing a unity of working and learning. No machine could replace the sensitivity of hands. Craft practice became synonymous with individualism and integrity."

"Craft is so often described as a practice surrounding a specific set of materials. But in truth it is less the material that defines the practice as the process of play, experiment, adjustment, individual judgement and the love of a material - any material."

Crow explores the ideals of craft, depicting it's importance to design, and not just a singular craft but in all areas ranging from textiles to graphic design. He talks about the aid of the computer beside craft and what design was like without the fundamental values of 'traditional crafts'.

A Vision In Colour:

Finally! Colour images! hurray! 

Im quite pleased with these, I treid to maintain the use of shape but at a more low key format to that of my train I had created earlier on for this brief, I found that as a singular image, it worked fine, but it was then a task of re- integrating it into the design, which became a problem. I stripped back the design and worked with a colour pallette I thought suited me. I feel I could add something more, a found object maybe, just to tweak the image, to give a more sense of 'me' as I feel there is a little something missing. The idea, was that these images were to be postcards but fit together, as a collection, again in the form of the mindmap, I have created a final image for this but it was not so successful as these prove to be on their own.

Mindmap

Mindmap:cut and Paste:

This image demonstrates the cut and paste technique I now use within most of my work but came across throughout my 'Location' brief. I quite often look into and admire the work of Hannah Hoch, a female dadaist who also demonstrated the cut and paste technique within her own work, only I utilise this technique from a different angle. the fact that you can see how I have created the mindmap, you can see where I have overlapped images, fixing them with sellotape in the corners. I like that you can see this, it gives the work more integrity. From this perspective my work differs from that of Hoch's, the dadaists were very neat on piecing images together, usually collected photographs and clippings. yet, as an image and not a complete image at that, I think it holds together well as a form, I still try to maintain that space and placement are quite important to my images.

Buy Eye

Buy the latest edition of Eye magazine (number 70, think they have it in Borders) its full of good articles about the hand made/ craft renaissance, also a good review of a book about Barney Bubbles look at the layout/old artwork for the Ian Dury LP cover quite reminiscent of the cut up work you have been doing.

Buy Eye

Buy the latest edition of Eye magazine (number 70, think they have it in Borders) its full of good articles about the hand made/ craft renaissance, also a good review of a book about Barney Bubbles look at the layout/old artwork for the Ian Dury LP cover quite reminiscent of the cut up work you have been doing.

Julius Bissier

I saw this work at the Miro museum in Barcelona and it reminded me so much of Matthew Richardson's work. I think it is the colour palette and parred down use of elements. As well as the way in which the elements overlap in places and they are both delicate and bold at the same time. I have not heard of him as an artist before. Some of the printed woodcuts on this website http://www.bissier.org/ are really lovely. I notice that you are looking a lot more at 'shape ' in your own work - these may be of use.

impossible worlds

Saw this whilst looking for some reference for a tap ! (for a freelance job) might be interesting to use this impossible worlds idea in your mind map images?

http://impossible-world.blogspot.com/

Richard Sarson

Hi Sarah Don't want to push you off course with the work you are producing at present, working with shape seems to be working for you. This link is to to guys whose work is quite abstract, but I think will have interest for you. The mail from Cheryl was useful, obviously she speaks from experience. Once you have established a way of working/visual language you need to make the idea paramount (and understandable/clear) http://www.richardsarson.com/

Initial Ideas - Train - (travel)

I thought i'd just post one of my finished designs for a travel idea, my train! Again collaged with bits of found collections and nostalgic ephemera and patterns. I feel my work seems to be a lot more progressive since I have been introduced to shape. It seems to somewhat hold an image together for me.

New Work - Ideas generation - Shape

These are two initial ideas towards the latest brief, which I chose to base around the theme of Location. Experimenting with the idea of fantasy vs. reality, I am utilising the imagery of Jim Flora and Mary Blair to compose these flat yet 3d illustrations. I have also been looking into the work of Martin Haake and Tim Biskup, and presently Joanna Nelson is there influencing me too! I am working with a method of mixed media juxtaposed with illustrator lines and shapes. I have chose three initial themes to work around, location, or place (the examples above), travel, and disguise. When these designs have progressed further with colour and what not, I will pull them together in a mindmap design illustrating the finished idea of fantasy vs. reality. 

Cheryl Taylor

Dear Cheryl,

I wonder If you remember me? I emailed you a few months back at the end of my second year. I am a student on the BA Hons at Stockport College, studying Illustration. My final year now! Firstly I would love to compliment your work again, it is always such an inspiration, I heard some of it is in the next volume of AOI! I know how busy you must be, I am currently in the process of writing my journal and you being one of my primary influences, I was just querying if I could have your opinion about a few things? I'll pop the questions in, if you get a moment, thats fantastic! thanks ever so much!

- You wrote a while back in one of your replies to an email, that you were inspired by Joseph Cornell, was it primarily his reference to birds, or were there other reasons?

- What do you do if you cannot get an idea to communicate in quite the right way? Or your general opinion on the communication of an Illustration, what you have learnt, being in the industry, working with other people?

- I am referring to the aesthetics of Illustration in my journal, as I am in the mix of a fine artist / Illustrator. Do you have any views upon the idea of hand made coming back, referring to Cornell or a general thought on the aesthetics of your work would be great.

Thanks ever so much, I hope to hear from you soon.

Sarah.

P.s, sorry about the two emails, i wasn't sure which email you were using, i hope one of these gets through.

________________________________________________



Dear Sarah,

Of course i remember you, how are you?

Well done in making it to year 3, you've done well in coping with the terrible twosome for that long (no offence Gary or Ian if you read this).

Okay answers...

I love the way Joseph Cornell used collage, the way he combined cut out found imagery, with objects that had been found and made, like the boxes he used to make to display his work. I find them really quite naive and beautiful, there is that element of the human touch and that somebody has cared enough about the work to create something wonderful for it to sit in.. I like his use of type also to you can see it is there but it doesn't rule the page. I also like the colours that he used... they seemed quite genuine. His birds were just a bonus i suppose. I think all in all i find his work genuine and sensitive... which are attributes that i admire in people.

One of the main things i have learnt is that you can't make things to complicated. Your work has to be beautiful and strong, and people have to understand it straight away. As people haven't got time to look and think about it. I feel they want to see something that is interesting and that they understand. When I first started out i used to make my ideas way too complicated but you learn through time to strip them down, this makes the work stronger. I used to really explain each idea in a huge paragraph when explaining it to the art director.... now its more like a sentence. Don't worry because this comes with time, and art directors understand, they work with people at all levels and if they like your work it's not an issue!

To be honest you never let it get to the stage where the idea is not communicating. Everything should be sketched in rough before you start on the main piece because if it's not working then it aint ever going to work, so you fnd an alternative route. Art is about beauty, illustration is about ideas, and other people have to understand the ideas too, so you have to keep it simple, punchy and beautiful like Ian's work.

I think hand made stuff is fantastic, and i think balance is also important. Imagen a plank of wood on a huge rock and it balancing in the middle. When new techniques start to emerge people follow the crowd, then the plank falls and everyone falls with it. But if you stay true to what your doing it'll all come good. Also i think it's good that you have a mix of fine art and illustration, as long as the idea communicates then why not!?

My work hmm this is the recipe for my work... mix a good idea, with a key colour pallette, add a good composition which the eye can follow the flow of, and see the relationships of the lost and found objects, add a sprinkle of humour and serve in warm bowl with a huge slice of sensitivity spread with love.

Is that okay?

p.s when you come to London with college, let me know and i'll meet you for a coffee and chat.

cheryl x

Figure Project - OWN WORK-

These are some examples for the figure project i created, the second of which, the head does not belong to me. I created two heads upon the first day of the brief, three days of which to complete the three sections in total. The yellow shape-like head initially came from an outline in correspondance to a russian doll that i was using within another project. I created the teapot in symbolism to the character head I had been sent, it reminded me of a dinner, so i thought hmm, food and drink. finally, my legs, i knew the shoes i was to be designing for the body, but i did not know how to fit the legs on. I feel this section, in contrast to my other pieces, doesn't hold as strong as it could have been, and i felt it was lacking a quality the teapot had. Possibly too many elements as one? Communication and choice, i find are the key elements i need to be aware of within my other illustrations.

Cristiana Couceiro

Have a look at Cristiana Couceiros work it seems to combine graphic shapes, textured/layered backgrounds and photography really well, added to this an intelligent use of space.

http://setediasete.blogspot.com/

Mari Mahr

Mari Mahr is a photographer I have known of for a year or so, from the last post, this photographer informs my work by the means of overlaying a range of elements and materials. It was wrote that she usually photographs an image of choice and develops it and then overlays another object or element on top or in front of the previous photograph, and takes another picture, experimenting with scale, dimensions and communication.

- My Work - Map

From an earlier post, this is the work i produced reflecting the textile artist, Micheal Brennand-Wood, it is based around the idea of fantasy vs. reality. i've been creating a lot of work reflecting photography, although that's normally as far as it goes. As you can see the words intertwined within this piece, from a cut-up poem about reality in my own perception, the mixed media piece, worked better without those, I initially was going to weave small images into the piece depicting different areas or locations and photographing them in different ways, with focus for example, to depict either the fantasy vs. reality. 

Mary Blair

Mary Blair is a new influence over my recent work, Her adaption of shapes within her work fascinates me, with her use of colour. My work seems to be developing further more similar to this is practise, not so much technique, as i still remain to appreciate mixed media and the application of it, but in a similar way to Blair's work, I have been painting shapely illustrations and shapes but then scanning these in and working on them as a computer generated image. I'm currently trying to find a way of communication between subjective elements and techniques. Shape seems to be my new inspiration.