luca-shaw-blog

[luca-shaw-blog]

Website 

https://www.lucashaw.com

The most difficult part of designing my website has been categorising my work, it’s been the most challenging part of the entire ‘future self’ brief. I have always overlapped different disciplines throughout a single project. I have found it hard to distinguish between art, design and illustration when I never really set out to make just one or the other - each intertwine throughout a single project. I was advised to keep my different disciplines separated so that I can direct the right people to the right stuff, but perhaps in future I could consider categorising by project.  I wanted my design to be clear and practical and I’ve always liked the layout of info left aligned. The name header corresponds with the rest of my self promotion - my business cards, bookmarks and portfolio. I decided to have my work presented in thumbnails within categories to give an instant collection for viewers to get a feel of, then there is the option to click on individual pieces and scroll through the images at a larger scale. When first visiting my site there is also a collection of images from across the different categories to give a wider picture of me as a practitioner. 

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How do concepts within phenomenology manifest in art making?

This was the question I explored in a piece of text, and when tackling how to present it in a publication I was thoroughly driven to keep exploring. I was deeply curious and passionate about this as a project, and from the start set myself steep targets. I set about initially considering scale, expanse, the expanse of thinking and time it took to really delve into this topic. I wanted to reflect this in a larger scale, a heavy publication with vast open spaces. My opening quote - ‘the work holds open the Open of the world’, I wanted each page to have this ‘open’ness, the text predominantly restricted to the outer regions of the page. 

My visuals, as apposed to illustrations, are more of an attempt to describe the dynamics of the concepts within a simple mark. The repetition of the spiral, originating and orbiting a starting point, was a symbol of origin and subjectivity which is inherent within phenomenological thought. Interspersed within the white spaces and suggestive marks are merky photograms of figures and hand prints, working with the themes of trace and human presence. Phenomenology is a deeply human and subjective discipline, I wanted it to retain a human feel, perhaps part of the reason for insisting on hand making and engineering the book. Tracing sheets and coloured sheets add breathers between expanses of white, and the traced sheets make use of the bulk of notes I made when reading for the essay, a vital stage I didn’t want to overlook. The see through sheets also touch upon the theme of reality and transparency I tackle in chapter 2, ‘phenomenology insists on the transparency of images’.  I feel that throughout this process I’ve learnt more than in any other project I’ve undertaken. I’ve learnt about myself and the determination I can conjure when I really care about a project. I’ve learnt how to utilise what’s around me, such as different paper stocks, sourcing printers, screen printing, different binding methods, and even built my own book press. The passion and dedication I put into what could have been just a throw away task shows me that the subject matter of phenomenology and the method of designing and making books are things I’m richly interested in. 

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FINAL BUSINESS CARD DESIGN

(see previous post for early stages)

For my final business card design I decided to go ahead with the mono-printed type, reflective of the materials I use in my work, and also reflective of a spontaneous working method. I wanted there to be personalisation through my own hand. I decided to change the description of myself to ‘Art, Illustration, Design’ as I’m coming to understand that each of these can stand side by side, and present a clear picture of a multidisciplinary visual artist. I chose the 2 pieces of work I thought best reflected my visual language, but I found this difficult as I work in a very experimental way with differences each time. Having said this, by this point I think I have determined some threads, and each image is representative through bold/sillhouetted shape, coupled with texture or line. As well as my business cards, I have had a selection of 3 bookmarks printed, these also contain my website and contact details. I think this is a successful piece of marketing as I myself buy a lot of bookmarks at print fairs and similar events. They are more utilisable in the everyday and have more space for image, as well as a constant reminder of my name/contact information. I also chose this format as apposed to postcards, as it coincides with my sway towards publishing and the recurrence of responses to books/book design in my work.

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Hopes / Fears / Opportunities Part 2 AIMS

I intend to get a volunteer position in a gallery space or community arts space. I feel would find this environment interesting, as I know I enjoy working with people in a community type setting, and I am also interested in the art’s role in society. Being in this setting could also pose new opportunities for the interactive/ 3D based illustration work I have experimented with on my degree. I would really like to get involved in projects where I keep learning and experience new concepts, creative challenges and people. I feel this may lead me towards more opportunities to learn about arts therapy, a continued interest of mine. I have learnt from many of my portfolio reviews and from my tutors that opportunities and inspiration comes from being within a large network of creatives. One of my aims is to keep widening my connections by attending as many events and activities as possible. I intend to keep making work and set myself personal projects in a similar vain to the way I work with projects now. I would like to continue working with themes, creating work that could predominantly be envisaged within publishing. Whilst continuing to create, I intend to keep my work public via social media and send work to specific publishers/ smaller magazines where I feel my work would fit. I hope to continue learning about different areas my work could place itself. As well as these aims, I intend to spend some time considering my next academic step. I would like to undertake a Masters degree in the near future, I am just unsure of which course at this stage, as my interests are varied and dynamic across the different art applications. This may present itself naturally as I have the time to read and navigate a proposal on which to base this next step.

OBJECTIVES

In order to achieve these aims, I have put certain objectives in place. The main one being attending networking events – a chance to talk and engage with people and build up the constellation of creatives I can draw upon for projects and opportunities. These will involve print fairs, craft fairs, regular meet ups such as Draw North West, life drawing sessions and workshops. One of the most significant changes after graduating will be the lack of a studio, and the removal of a creative environment amongst my peers in which to work. I intend to utilise a space to work, ideally shared with 2 other people who will also be graduating from my course. It would be great to work independently with the support of one another, yet also collaboratively. Together, we have gathered a list of possible places to find studio space, so this is something we will be turning our attention to in the next few weeks.

I intend to get in contact with potential clients, sending my work to publishers such as Penguin and magazines/journals working with areas where my visual language could apply, such as the New Scientist, Lancet Neurology or other similar magazines perhaps working with mental health. As well as this, other more independent journals such as Ambit, which combines art with poetry and short fiction, or Elementum Journal, which describes itself as ‘a journal of nature and story’, which I have seen contain illustration of a more suggestive and subtle nature. I will continue to look for different platforms for my artwork. I also intend to enter competitions, including both Penguin and the Creative Conscience Awards. I have never entered the Penguin Book Competition, yet considering a lot of my feedback pushes me in the direction of publishing, I will make this a priority. I entered the Creative Conscience Awards in 2016 and was one of the ‘Awarded Entries’, I am able to enter this competition up to 2 years after graduation, so I will also work towards a project for this. PLAN OF ACTION 

1. Contact Manchester Art Gallery & Whitworth Art Gallery to apply for their volunteer positions. 2. Find a part time job working somewhere that I at least agree with on a moral/ social/ sustainable level. 3. Ensure my social media is kept up to date and that I am following all the right things to keep me within the circle of opportunities. Talk to people in the real world as an extension of the phrase ‘social media’. 4. Utilise a studio space to work in. This will also involve finding places where I can still experiment with my current working methods, i.e. a dark room for photogram. 5. Make stuff! Both to rotate around and about via print fairs such as prints, poetry books, zines (making use of my new book press), and to send to clients.

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Visual Theatre Programme

I have created a visual theatre programme to present my body of responses to the 3 novels of Hermann Hesse - Steppenwolf, Demian and Siddhartha. The programme aims to explore some of the themes in each of the productions, adding a further visual dimension to an existing art form. My feedback throughout this process was to include text or quotes from the literature in order to have a clear conversation between text and image, and I feel that this is quite successful in this setting as it can be imagined as lines or narration from the plays. I was able to integrate text within images better than in previous work such as my poetry book, where text and image was kept rigidly separate. I think the layout and structure of the programme is utilisable, each production with a distinct hand rendered title, a clear sypnosis and then corresponding imagery. 

As with any publication like this, there are certain images I feel are more successful than others, but I feel on the whole there is some consistency, particularly with my methods of combining my cyanotype figure and wire outcomes with texture and colour. 

I got the book printed through blurb, yet I chose to cut into the front cover and expose the dates of the productions, helping to show that the publication is first and foremost a piece of advertisement. I wanted the programme to have more of a bespoke look that stands out against the run of the mill theatre programmes I come across. I have come to realise that I thoroughly enjoy designing and making books/publications, I enjoy the tactility and accessibility of them and I think this shows across all of my outcomes, this tactility is perhaps an extension of my interest in making artwork interactive and not only restricted to a single dimension. As well as this, the resonances between text and image on a page is an interest I would like to continue to explore past this course through more hand made publications. 

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Prospective Client List 

1. Penguin Books

Penguin publishes classic fiction, as  well as non fiction, from some of the greatest writers and thinkers. They are  world-wide and very well known and regarded. They are part of a larger group  called Penguin Random House.

My work suits publishing as I work  thematically and with concepts, I like to create imagery which is suggestive  and offers more than the text provides. I am not a ‘spell it out’  illustrator, and I feel book covers allow for this freedom. My work is also  somewhat ‘decorative’ and sparks ‘interest’ in a viewer.

Postal  submissions preferred or Portfolio review made by an appointment. 80 Strand,  London. WC2R 0RL Studio manager interested in new talent. Emma White 020 7010  3362

2. Royal Exchange Theatre

The Royal Exchange Theatre hold productions of modern theatre along with fresh takes on classic plays. They are a nationally renowned theatre with an individual setting to present theatre productions. They have regularly had illustrated promotional materials.  I think I would suit doing work for the theatre as it is an opportunity to further work with themes and offer a visual realm to an existing art form. Throughout my previous project I have focused on a visual theatre programme, expanding on themes and narratives within an envisaged production. The theatre also holds workshops and events that expand on the plays currently showing, this is something I could work with as I have had a continued interest in workshops/ interactive work. 

Royal Exchange Theatre, St Ann's Square, Manchester, M2 7DH Artistic Director -  Sarah Frankcom (contact michelle.hickman@royalexchange.co.uk)

3. Granta Books / Magazine

Granta books is a UK based independent  publishers, publishing a combination of ‘literary fiction and upmarket non  fiction’. They also have a magazine in their name, which includes fiction  writing and investigative journalism with a very forward thinking intention.  Both the books and the magazine commission a wide variety of illustrative  styles but mainly modern, fresh, often abstract and expressive.

I like to work thematically, fiction  books allow for me to identify themes and work towards imagery that is  responsive and suggestive of these themes. The magazine also allows for me to  work with non fiction, current topics. They commission illustration that is  often sympathetic to my own visual language, including collage, conceptual,  abstracted and hand rendered type.

Granta Books

12 Addison Avenue,

London, W11 4QR

Tel: +44 (0)20 7605 1360

Fax: +44 (0)20 7605 1361

Email: info@grantabooks.com

(Sarah Wasley is the Production  Director)  The Magazine has an online art submission page - https://granta.submittable.com/submit

4. New Scientist

New scientist is a word-wide magazine  producing articles on different areas within science such as space, health,  earth and technology. It regularly commissions illustration alongside photography.

The work I make is often heavily  context based and I like to work with interesting subject matter. My visual  language is often elusive and suggestive, lending perhaps to areas of mental  health, human sciences and space.

Art Editor – Craig Mackie

Proctor House  110 High Holborn  London WC1V  craig.mackie@newscientist.com

020 7611 1261 (direct)  I would send specific and relevant artwork to the email and follow up with a  phone call.

5. Lancet Neurology

Lancet Neurology is a branch of the  Lancet Journal collection. It focuses on articles of original research,  review, opinion and news relating to the subject matter of Neurology. It  consistently has an illustrated cover.

I enjoy learning about and representing complexities in a subtle way. I think my work could fit when representing  some of the topics within Neurology such as Dementia, sleep disorders, trauma,  as my work often depicts a ‘feeling’ as apposed to spelling out a situation.  The illustrated covers of the past have contained a large range of  contemporary illustration styles, often expressive and individual.

Editor for Lancet Neurology:  Elena Becker-Barroso

e.becker-barroso@elsevier.com

Lancet Journal Office:

+44 (0) 207 424 4950  

6.  Ambit

Ambit is a 96-page quarterly literary and art magazine. It is created in London, published in the UK, and read internationally. It combines poems, fiction and art. It has regular  submissions from new writers and artists to keep it fresh and current.

I thoroughly enjoy working with literature, and specifically poetry. I think my work lends itself well to theme and metaphor. Ambit regularly invites 2 illustrators per issue to illustrate  selected prose, as well as features artists directly.

Ambit has an online submissions portal  - http://ambitmagazine.co.uk/submit

Mireille Fauchon - Illustration Editor

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Portfolio Feedback 7

 – ALLUMNIGHT, Vicky Carr During the ‘Allumnight’ event, designed to create an opportunity for graduates of Stockport College Art School to feedback and offer guidance to undergraduates, I showed my portfolio to Vicky Carr – a member of Textbook Studio. The event, as well as creating an environment to interact with past students, was also a celebration of Stockport College Art School, its achievements, its aims and its large network of like-minded creative individuals. The whole event made me incredibly proud to be a part of this community and to have studied amongst these people and the environment they create. This was a vibe both me and Vicky shared, both extremely appreciative of the Stockport College Art School team. I was keen to speak to Vicky about my portfolio primarily due to the fact that I’d had a lot of comments about it having a very ‘graphic’ feel, I wanted to get a perspective from a graphic designer. I am also intrigued by Textbook’s ability to straddle many avenues of design, which they said happens organically.  They inspire confidence in me due to their very natural confidence and love in what they do, which from what I see remains inquisitive. Vicky encouraged me to change the typeface of the info to something more modern and less explicitly ‘student’, reminding me not to overlook these details. She was very positive about having my work ‘in context’ a lot, she said it helped her to ‘get’ certain pieces, certain ‘boxes’ of image worked as just ‘boxes’, but others need to be shown in context. She was very praising of a few of the new additions which form part of my visual programme, and encouraged me to get this photographed in the same way as my poetry book. She felt my book covers were clean and clear, and that when describing the work to a client it may be important to distinguish which part is my imagery and which part would be added by an art director, as currently I’m doing all of it myself. What was also very interesting was her encouragement to keep my interactive work sitting alongside my 2D work. She felt that the interactive installation projects were interesting and could open up doors into this area, no matter who I was showing it to. She reminded me that you never know what opportunities could come from the portfolio and keeping this part hidden may only restrict my outlets. Vicky was massively encouraging of ‘creating your own job’, and helped me to feel very confident in what I do as an individual. What I have come to learn from her was how important it is to build and retain a network of creative people who in turn are constantly generating new opportunities and projects to be involved in. As well as making the improvements to my portfolio like she suggested, I intend to continue attending as many events as possible where I have the chance to talk to others artists and creatives and widen my network. I began this with an event Vicky herself was co-hosting at Islington Mill the following weekend called ‘buffet’, a wacky summer school-esque show and tell of creative ideas.

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A Reading with Hermann Hesse

‘This installation was a meditation on the German writer, Hermann Hesse, born 1877, who’s novels were largely regarded as autobiographical to varying degrees. Segments of text from both his poetry and selected from his novels Steppenwolf, Demian and Siddhartha were interspersed among a body of visual responses. Both the writing and the visuals focused around themes of self enlightenment, duality and the realisation of a multiplicity of identities within one whole. The theme of multiplicity of identities was embodied in the layering of images. These images interact with one another, are visible through one another and obscure one another to create instantaneous visual combinations.

The installation was also interactive, each sheet could be removed and re-attached to the wires to create new combinations and subsequent meanings.’  

I was very keen to apply my body of response to an interactive setting, and after finding many thematic overlaps in the poetry and novels of Hesse, I liked the idea of expressing his overarching narrative. There is a consistent quest for selfhood, a realisation, an enlightenment through each of the stories I followed, characterised by a turbulent journey through the stark juxtapositions of life. There is a key attempt to accept the idea of identity as not something made up of 1, but intact a balance of multiple identities and influences, and I felt my choice of presentation mirrored this idea of multiples. In future, I would like to consider creating site specific work where the location and facilities are known from the outset, and the artwork designed to inhabit that space. I say this because I found myself having to compromise on my original ideas of presentation due to the logistics of the space. I would have liked to have the wires at different levels and angles, creating different obstructions and forcing passers by to engage with the physicality of the work. I would also have liked the space to be darker and have a permanent projection, yet this wasn’t possible for the whole time the installation was up. This is most definitely something I’ll consider for any other future 3D experiential projects. 

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Portfolio Feedback 6

Foz Foster 

http://mrandrewfoster.com Foz encouraged me that at this point it gets ‘really interesting’. This is the time where I break out of the somewhat conditioned and one track environment of art school and face that imaginary drop off point. The conversation I had with Foz was an encouraging push in this direction - a clear and realistic breakdown of my work, it’s applications and how I represent myself. I felt the points he made throughout our video chat were the most helpful I’ve received and have had a really positive impact on my outlook. Foz’s initial observation was that my portfolio resembled a design portfolio, he made this comment due to the fact that the portfolio is well displayed and professional, and displays imagery that sits consistently within and alongside design. He also commented that in his opinion it is too short and could benefit from more work that is of a different stimulus, offering more dynamics yet keeping the same threads – be those aesthetic or content threads. He described my work as gestural, and with a kind of ‘background’ feel to it, he felt it ‘suggests rather than tells’ with a visual language that is a ‘slower hit’. I found this observation useful as it’s also how I would describe my work and it was encouraging to know that I understand how my work presents itself. We discussed how we both believed that imagery can ‘say more than the words’ and how imagery should ‘open things up’. He mirrored a comment consistently used by my tutors, along the lines of ‘the image always sits with text’ so doesn’t always need to spell it out. This is the ‘slower hit’ feel he was referring to with my work, he noticed how it wasn’t the sort of illustration that grabs and makes the message immediately apparent, it leaves room and time for the message to present itself. Having determined the way my work behaves, he explained how I would be suited to publishing and book covers which allow for this ‘slow hit’ communication. Book covers tend to be an open interpretation of over-arching themes rather than rigorously descriptive spoilers; there is more space for my ‘open’ and suggestive imagery. He also felt that my work has a decorative feel and has the ability to pull in with the aesthetic, something needed in publishing. Foz believed that my strongest work in the portfolio were the set of Hermann Hesse covers, for the reason that my work sits well in this setting. He suggested that I could be an illustrator that art directors entrust to do the whole book design, as the design side of my work is very much alive throughout my portfolio and considered in conjunction with the imagery. He encouraged me to include more work in this application. Yet he also commented that I didn’t always need to include imagery in context, he suggested that I intermingle stand-alone imagery with imagery in context to give a stronger and clearer feel of my style.  This is something I’ve also been told in other feedback. 

Although Foz determined the area of publishing as the most fitting area, he didn’t rule out some editorial work, yet stressed the importance of researching those magazines and newspapers that commission work that has a similar feel to mine. He expanded on some of his editorial jobs where he has worked with extremely open minded and creative art directors who gave him a lot of freedom. He emphasised that ultimately I must consider how I present and market myself to clients, both online and through a portfolio. He provided me with a great collection of illustrators to refer to when considering how to describe myself and market my work. He stressed that the installation work I have in my portfolio is something that would cast doubt in a client’s mind and should be kept separate.  How I present myself also applies to this blog, which as a natural progression will be replaced with a blog that is entirely more outward facing and considerate of what clients want to see. After 2 extremely constructive and significant conversations with Foz over my degree, I would regard him, alongside my tutors, as one of the very few individuals that really encourage me to challenge the entrenched ‘conservatism’ of illustration, the stiflingly separate identities of ‘illustrator’ and ‘artist’ and bring a sense of self and value into visual communication. I feel encouraged to keep to my morals, feed my interests, make art and embody the kind of illustrator I’d like to be – with a portfolio that reflects this.

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Portfolio Feedback 5

Postgrad Q&A and Rose Lloyd 

Rose Lloyd, Alan Dalby and Liam Bardsley’s visit was a great opportunity for us soon to be graduates. Having experienced the exact transition we will make and graduated from the same programme, they were able to pass on really helpful and utilisable advice.  I noted some of the comments from this Q&A session.‘Draw on others – you can’t create in a vaccuum’, we were encouraged to explore other’s work and be inspired by the surrounding environment, to build a reference perhaps of images/textures that can be drawn upon especially in situations that require a quick turnover. Another very helpful piece of advice concerned editorial work, firstly - be honest with yourself and don’t accept work you know you cannot do. They also urged us that even within the short time allowed for editorial work it’s beneficial to take a break and not stagnate your ideas generation under the pressure of time. Another consideration was on the topic of working for free. They simply advised – don’t do it. I had never previously realised the negative impact of working for free on the industry and others in the same position trying to find paid work. I showed my portfolio to Rose Lloyd, who was encouraging of the application of my work within the area of publishing. She pointed me in the direction of another book cover competition that I wasn’t aware of. She said it was very interesting to see my work in different settings such as interactive and commented on how refreshing it was to see so many different visual languages coming through from each new portfolio she saw. As well as publishing, she found that my work was strong in posters as well and she saw a ‘polish poster’ look to my work. Again, as with other people I have spoke to; she suggested keeping the applications separated a little. I intend to do this by creating a box portfolio with loose papers to allow for a mix and match situation. Her feedback was great to receive and I was very grateful for her genuine interest in my projects.

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Portfolio Feedback 4 - Robert Malte Engelsmann (kaeghoro) 

http://kaeghoro.de 

Robert Malte Engelsmann (kaeghoro) is an artist based in Berlin. He describes his work as ‘dynamic, abstract-figurative line drawing and mixed media painting processes on paper’ and uses a process he calls ‘flowstate drawing’. 

Robert provided me with some key advice after reviewing my pdf portfolio up to date. To begin with, he pointed out some basic observations and possible changes such as the positioning of my contact information within a portfolio - this should always appear as the last page of the portfolio including a website, email and the social media platforms I use. He commented on how the use of photos was good and the projects in general were ‘beautiful’. But then he continued with a question - who would receive this pdf? To whom would I send it? This question then instigated a conversation about the audiences/applications and general vibe of my work. 

I answered this question honestly, admitting that it was simply a culmination of my most successful works to date, across multiple outlets. I said that my intention was to split up my portfolio and cater it to different people. For instance create a more illustrative/editorial/publishing portfolio to send to people like art directors and clients and separate the more ‘art’ work to send to galleries/exhibition curators. Or even only send specific pieces to the people they would apply to. I said I was aware of 2 strands within my work… illustration/design and then art. Robert considered my answer to be very thought out, he thought I was on the right track with this approach. 

He explained that the reason for asking the question was because in his opinion my portfolio very much resembled a ‘design’ portfolio. He explained that this was because designers show the ‘stuff’ they have designed, photographed and finalised. Whereas an illustrator’s portfolio tends to feature illustrations that then go on to be utilized by an art director/designer. It focuses on just the imagery, not necessarily the finalised product or the image in situ. He didn’t necessarily say this was a bad thing, it was good to see the image in a setting, but he encouraged me to find a ‘balance’. Focusing on the image sometimes, and then the application of it in equal balance. 

He commented on the 2 ‘strands’ I had previously outlined, and said that it was more like 3 - illustration, design, fine art. He stated that they are individual worlds in themselves, yet nonetheless overlap. He encouraged me to use social media to help gauge where these lines are drawn, for instance looking at what appears on the different hashtags of #illustration, #fineart, #design. He suggested behance and instagram, specifying that behance is especially helpful for clear categorization, drawing upon his knowledge of fellow artists and illustrators who have developed a clear following/sense of self through this platform.  He was not strict in the distinction between these three worlds, encouraging the overlap in fact, but I suppose it is when directing my work to certain people I must understand what it is, and what its applications are. 

He strongly urged me to put my efforts into social media. Robert often creates and sells artists books that contain his work online, and this is something I said I was also interested in. But he said that first I should develop a strong ‘following’. He encouraged me to look at where I’m at when I reach 500 instagram posts - an honest piece of advice which respects the power of social media. It’s becoming increasingly apparent that success depends on my ability to self-promote via social media, and I’m yet to make peace with this need for a rigorous online presence.  With our conversation continuing, Robert was keen to remind me that although online popularity is powerful, it’s not everything. A strong portfolio coupled with persistence and hard work is key, those connections you make via social media simply aid in this. He then kindly spent time reading more of the posts on my blog in an attempt to better understand who I am, and felt that my focus on ‘experimentation and process’ and my broader interests in the arts make a strong case for me as a ‘conceptual/visual designer and artist’, as apposed to a strict and consistent ‘editorial illustrator’. He felt this was something he saw in my work from the start and was highly encouraging that I continue in this way, take time to find out how I really want to work with the arts, and most importantly – grow.

Thanks again for your insights, Robert -  http://blog.kaeghoro.de

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Book Cover Design - The novels of Hermann Hesse

As my body of work which responds to the themes in the writings of Hermann Hesse expands, I considered utilising some imagery by re-inventing the book covers of the 3 of the novels. I intended to create a sort of ‘series’ look, with both the consistent type and my visual language marrying the selection of novels. I think, having done this, that my work lends itself to the area of publishing as I’m able to work with broader themes and quite vaguely in some respect. The book cover alludes to the complexities of the written work, complements it perhaps, as apposed to describing it directly. This is the case especially with the works of Hesse, as the books are richly thematic, often with repeated and overlapping themes.  I received feedback that my work was convincing in this setting, and it’s good to see the work placed and utilised with a purpose. As an advancement I may consider finding other ways to extend the ‘series’ feel, perhaps creating an image that spreads across all 3 spines. The covers sparked a discussion about whether to prioritise the text on covers, as sometimes my images disrupted the legibility of the type from a distance, but with the feedback split on this area I think I will trust my own process when purchasing books which is often an entirely visual process, where the cover image entices me to pay attention to the title and author. I intend to create another cover for the novel, Steppenwolf, and finalise the existing results. 

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Portfolio Feedback 3

Maker Meet Up - Manchester Craft and Design Centre - Portfolio feedback and advice on a career in the arts.

The Maker Meet Up gave me an opportunity to socialise and network with other individuals working in related fields of the arts. The majority of those I met were juggling being self employed/freelance and trying to self promote themselves as a business whilst battling with the financial implications of selling artwork. I got the chance to speak to a few individuals about this very current and recurrent theme of social media and how it aids their progression. I was pointed in the direction of different applications that help to manage your social media platforms such as hootsuit, as well as advice on times of day to post/the distinction between platforms.  I had the opportunity to speak 1 to 1 with Michelle, a glass artist who has a background in curating and currently has a studio space in the centre. Although her discipline is different to mine, I was still able to gain a lot of insight from her experiences and our shared interests. She had a look at my portfolio of work and commented on how it gave a strong sense of ‘who I was’, a visual language. She commented on how she felt the need to ask me more about each project, what the intentions were and why I’d engaged with the projects. I thought it was good that the work instigated a discussion. The main piece of advice she gave me in terms of my work is to have an idea of my audience. She, like others, acknowledged the ‘fine art’ look of my work and encouraged the idea of print fairs and the possibility of collaborating with people in ceramics. She encouraged me to have an idea of what I wanted, what I would like to achieve with my work, goals. Yet she also encouraged me to be open minded and get involved in things, take part in the arts. She explained how her experience in the arts had taken many twists and turns that she did not expect, including curating and working at festivals. I explained how I had a lot of enthusiasm for the process of the arts in general and she encouraged this.  Another, less exciting theme that came from the Maker Meet Up was the encouragement to consider finance. How can you sustain yourself financially enough in order to afford the time to stay creative? One lady encouraged me to find a balance and define where money can be attained in a way that leaves enough head space and flexibility for creativity. Look for the jobs that are worth your while in one way or another, something that you can progress with, or that will earn you some money. It was a very common sense approach - but vital. Financial stability allows the freedom for creativity, it’s much harder to take creative risks when you are unstable. Don’t be ashamed of that bread and butter earner, it does a lot of good.  http://www.craftanddesign.com

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Business Card  1st Stages

My aim is to design and engineer ways in which to promote myself as an image maker in a way that is indicative of the work I produce. My working methods are  very varied so I’m trying to resist featuring every medium I work in. I’d like to hand render my type as my work is very personal and gestural and I feel through writing my name I can suggest my personality and individuality. This also feels to me like the trace of  presence, like a signature. I work quite quick, rough & spontaneously and so I was writing my name in this way, as I would when note taking. I have used ink and mono print for my type as these are 2 consistent mediums I use. The examples above feature a few of the outcomes I thought were most interesting and representative. I’m aware that things like illegibility rule some of these out, but I’m keen to gain more feedback on that assumption as I think there needs to be some room for expression, so long as the contact information is legible and reiterates my name. I think for those purposes though, the top example is most successful as of yet. The most difficult part of working with hand rendered type has proven to be choosing a type that can work alongside it, compliment it. I feel this is something I’m going to need more feedback on.  In terms of colour, I feel I have a duality in my work that can naturally be represented by the 2 sides of a card. In a large majority of my work, I work only in black and white or black and off white, and then the colour tends to come later and exist quite boldly often with a digital input. I feel the image on the bottom right would exist well on the back of the card to represent my work, with the balance of both bold silhouetted shape and texture, and visceral line work.  As well as a business card, I’d like to represent myself through other means such as postcards or bookmarks. This is because, as mentioned in a previous post (Fig Taylor), I like the concept of producing art work that is accessible and utilisable for everyone, kind of like a form of socialist art. I intend to work in these formats and see what other formats I could use for print. 

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Photogram Session  Light, dark and the flowing river. This photogram session expands on the established themes of the light and dark internal world within the novel Demian, one of the 3 novels I’m responding to. I feel as if this medium lends itself well to the contistent contrast of light/dark good/bad in the novel and also the search for balance between the two which is  the journey that Emil Sinclair, who’s perspective it’s written from, takes. The figure and the representative of the figure enthralled in this contrasting environment aims to the depict the heavily personal and subjective experience on which the whole novel is based. As well as this, the aesthetic of the photogram and the materials I used such as rippled plastic, as well as moving the items whilst being exposed creates some fluid movement which lends itself well to the role of the ever flowing river in the novel, Siddhartha. This medium is an extension of my previous cyanotype print method which I thoroughly enjoy using due to it’s encouragement and expanse for chance happenings, as well as the cosistent overall atmosphere, glow and presence. Each of the novels involve a kind of spiritual journey, a slow enlightenment, realisation and I feel these methods of ‘exposure’ are a direct endeavour of this kind.  I will do another session of photograms, playing more with the shapes I made with bubble wrap as I feel these are most coherent and interesting. I will also use this method of ‘exposure’ to illustrate my dissertation which is predominantly an enquiry into the connections between phenomenology and art making. The aesthetic of these photograms and the process of ‘exposing’ within the dark room, once compared to a ‘womb like’ surrounding is akin to the subjective process of moving into an experience and exposing the intricacies of it. 

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Portfolio Feedback 2

Fig Taylor 

My encounter with Fig Taylor felt like a crucially current and well needed crash course in the Illustration industry. First and foremost she made it clear to me that in this country we have an abundance of illustrators, it is well populated and competitive. Yet with this wide selection brings freedom to be an individual, hone in on an area you do best and demonstrate it. She suggested that nowadays illustrators have a greater freedom to forge their own market, an opportunity to create work that is exclusively YOU, and navigate the areas that your work could fit, becoming your own director perhaps.

Having said this, Fig insisted that clients need it easy - 1 consistent style as much as possible, 1 outlet. They want to be able to trust your work and know what outcome they will get. This is where the portifolio comes in and must act as a demonstration of the ‘well oiled illustration machine’ that the client wants. She explained that the ideal portfolio contains only the type of work you want to be commissioned on and work that is genuinely you. With this in mind, I was curious as to how a practitioner like myself can forge this ‘consistency’, with my working methods engrained primarily in experimentation. I doubted my ability to have a coherent portfolio that ‘spells it out’ to the client. Yet it soon occurred to me that there is scope for a variety of outlets and approaches, and success with this lies with the way I direct my work and distinguish the differences in my work. A way to do this that Fig outlined was via a website which is organised to clearly distinguish between ‘art’ ‘design’ ‘editorial’ etc etc. She even suggested having 2 websites or 2 portfolios with different directions. I would just need to be more specific when approaching desired clients, select the work I know would fit to the subject matter and direct clients to this work only.  When it came to Fig looking at my portfolio directly, she picked up on the ‘fine art’ strain of my work, commenting on how it aligned with ‘fine art’ much more than any she’d seen throughout the day. She suggested that artist’s books could be a route for me to take my work down, as well as print fairs selling hand made books and prints, as these environments allow for these kinds of aesthetic a little more. I wasn’t disheartened by this comment, I think this environment is definitely akin to my aesthetic, I like the concept of socialist art that comes with print fairs - a place where art and design is accessible and attainable to lots of people at reasonable prices and via usable formats such as postcards and bookmarks. Yet turning to the area of editorial more, Fig outlined the distinction between a ‘female’ and ‘male’ visual language that determines the subject matter within editorial work. She was encouraging that my visual language could apply to the ‘female’ subject area of editorial such as education/mental health and wellbeing. She also picked up on the possible application within conceptual illustration.  In conclusion, the advice and information gained from Fig during her visit was undoubtedly vital. I feel as if I’m slowly building a thorough picture of the different ways to apply my work. Something that will most definitely stay with me from this visit is the importance and role that an online presence plays in getting work. She compared the instagram page/the blog to the interview scenario, suggesting that these outlets are crucial when a potential client has limited time yet wants to know that little more about you, your approaches, your methods, your interests. It was reassuring to know that some people are still interested in process as it’s such an important part for me when making work. It is also much clearer to me that my work and working method most definitely challenges the squeaky clean image of ‘the well oiled illustration machine’, but I’m okay with this, in fact I’m proud of it. Because for me my interest lies in the process of illustrating, of making responses, of delving into what it is i’m visually communicating and exploring it, and as much as any ‘style’ I’ve forged from this process, it’s the process itself that forms my visual language. 

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- Advice and responses from others  Representing duality, differing natures Above are images further responding to the duality and conflicting natures present in Steppenwolf, and also Siddhartha. Throughout all 3 of Hesse’s work there is a continued battle between two oppositions, namely the earthly and the divine as well as the animalistic and the human. These things were discussed with my peers while sifting through my responses to date. 

The use of drawings on tracing paper crudely stuck over shapes got good feedback I think due to the metaphor of overlay. It was suggested that this overlaying could extend into a larger setting with photocopies on acetate and used through a projector. This could bring the themes into an interactive environment which is something I’ve been keen to do. As well as this, it was suggested I could consider materials such as clay to represent the earthly physicality that is consistently at war with the ethereal divine presence. I’d most definitely like to try working with clay, I think it’s a massively appropriate medium for this theme. Furthermore, keeping my outcome in mind in terms of theatre publications such as banners, posters and programmes, the group crit helped me to set goals of experimenting with my images in the appropriate formats as well as considering type at this early stage.