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Tuesday 25 May 2010
Monday 24 May 2010
The Critical Evaluation Interview
The Critical Evaluation.
Interview with the illustrator behind ‘ogopogoart.’
h.broadbridge. flags & shaft.
Your latest body of work seems to be predominantly focused on the USA, why is this?
>>It’s really a continuation of my obsession with nostalgia and what makes a period in history into a memorable epoch; the evocation of the feel and spirit of a time. Earlier in the year I was working with images from the Derbyshire mining communities and the nationwide strikes of the 1980s. My recent work involving America moves to the 1930s and derived from an initial interest in the story of ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ –the outlaw lovers of the 1930s. When the FBI celebrated it’s 100th anniversary in 2008, it released many of its earliest records from the crimes of renowned gangsters such as John Dillinger, Bonnie and Clyde and Machine Gun Kelly, giving people today a fascinating insight into this period.
Do you not worry that the work you produce could be seen as out-dated due to your interest in nostalgia?
>>No, because I am looking at how the past links with the present. Often an idea can be triggered by something in the media today. For example, when the economic crisis hit the world in 2009, commentators drew comparisons with the Great American Depression of the 1930s, which made me want to understand more about it. Many of the characters and images of this time have a remarkable similarity with today –the first ‘Madoff’ was Charles Ponzi in the1920s, promising to double investors money in three months, (thus explaining the origin of the term ‘Ponzi’ scheme.) Today’s papers carried pictures of American citizens squatting outside of their major cities, made homeless by banking foreclosures and the selling of their homes. Again this mirrors the 1930s, Clyde Barrow grew up under the viaduct that was the ‘West Dallas Squatters’ Camp,’ inhabited by families who made their way up from the cotton fields when they could no longer afford to keep a roof over their heads. [Schneider, P. Bonnie and Clyde. The lives behind the legend. J.R. Books, London, 2009, p.39.] I think historical context can increase the impact of events today. I try to achieve this with my images.
How so?
>>By the juxtaposition of the contemporary with the past. At first it seems as though the images clash, (I want the viewer to wonder why Bernie Madoff is mixed in with characters of a distinctively 1930’s origin), then it becomes possible to see that the images also interrelate; be it today, yesterday or eighty years ago: it’s all about greed and violence; the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots.’
In that case, how do the images of terrorists that keep cropping up in your work fit in? >>This relates to the re-occurrence of the symbol of the American flag in my work. Over the past few years I have spent a lot of time examining concepts of national identity, how we portray ourselves; symbolically, with founding myths, or by setting ourselves up in opposition to what we are not, i.e. the ‘other.’ My studies have ranged from examining how captivity narratives (of Seventeenth Century American sailors by Barbary pirates), are evidence of the birth of a collective American identity, to, most recently, the way in which contemporary visual culture has created ‘a synecdochial sterotype for “Arab,”’[1] often by juxtaposing it with American identity.
These thought processes then came out visually in my posters. I became preoccupied with the American flag because it is such a potent symbol of American identity, far more so than in the United Kingdom. School children pledge their allegiance in front of it every morning, even the rules of how the flag must be hung make interesting reading. It made me wonder about what people will do in the name of their country. I think this is a really current concern, with the Iraq Wars, and now the Afghan War, countries have marshalled all the signifiers of their collective ‘nation’ to employ against the ‘enemy.’ The events of 9/11 made America a tangible entity that felt it had to band together to protect itself. I want the viewer of my posters to question this.
How is this played out visually?
>>It is an offence to deface the American flag. My images intersect, interrupt and, to an extent, desecrate the flag, not as a mark of disrespect, but to draw attention to the power of what Benedict Anderson would describe as the ‘imagined nation.’ It is this non-tangible entity that motivates presidents to declare war and men and women to sacrifice their lives. A recent piece of work by Emily Prince consists of a drawing of 5,213 dead soldiers, the number who have died in the Iraq and Afghan Wars. She draws the details of their head and shoulders on a piece of card to match their skin-tone. I think this is a powerful piece of work, individually the portraits seem nothing more than simplistic illustrations but grouped together in this way, for me, they almost embody the idea of the ‘imagined nation’ that each soldier was fighting for. [Prince, E. ‘American Servicemen and Women Who Have Died in Iraq and Afghanistan (But Not including the Wounded, Nor the Iraqis, nor the Afghanis.)” Saatchi Gallery, London, May, 2010.] In my work I wanted to show that there is also a negative side to this phenomenon. The ‘imagined nation’ of America has become such a potent symbol that hatred is incited against what it is thought to represent, hence the reoccurrence of the terrorist in my work. These images also invite the viewer to question what might be being done in their name. If we buy into an imagined nation, be it America, the United Kingdom, Iraq or so forth, then are we also colluding with actions done in our name that perhaps, morally, we do not agree with? This was my thinking behind the poster series that alternates from the Klu Klux Klan, to the torture of prisoners in Guantanamo. A community can be exclusive as well as inclusive.
Whose work do you think has influenced you?
>>I have a real affinity for the work that emerged from Russia in the 1920s with the Avant Garde. The experimental melange of fine art and ‘functional’ art led to some really revolutionary designs. The care and attention extended by artists, such as the Stenberg brothers, on the ‘disposable’ art of the cinema poster, for example, is incredible. They were truly motivated by a love of design and I’ve found that studying the way in which they intersect space, pattern and shape to create innovative perspectives has taught me a lot. I do tend to go into the past for many of my influences but I don’t think this is a negative. It’s not about rehashing what’s already been done but looking at some of the best periods of innovation and being inspired by them. For example, the explosion in the graphic design world that led to the birth of Émigré Magazine. [1984-2005.] I believe an appreciation of these bouleversements helps me to use current digital technology in a way that prevents the outcome from becoming generic. A publication in March 2010 entitled 77 POSTERS / 77 PLAKATÓW pairs British film posters from the 60s and 70s with their Polish counter parts and contains work by the incredible Andrzej Klimowski. The publishers – t h e T w a r d a S z t u k a F o u n d a t i o n- describe how, in the process of compiling the book, they ‘learnt a lot on how to use the visual metaphor of film poster graphics to see more deeply into film.’ It is in this way that I study the work of other artists and designers, to see how they manipulate the visual image to communicate meaning and feeling. http://www.twarda-sztuka.pl/index.php?/projects/77-posters--77-plakatow
Since conveying meaning visually is about taping into a visual vocabulary; using signs, symbols and signifiers to get your point across, I think this inevitably means artists will draw on history, as our visual vocabulary is something that has built up over time immemorial, for example, in the work of the Iranian artist Hayv Kahraman. She was one of Saatchi’s ‘New Artists of the Middle East’ in the gallery’s 2008 ‘Unveiled’ exhibition. In her series on ‘The Sacrifice of the Lamb’ her lyrical figures allude to the world of late antiquity with their luxurious robes and sculpted hair. Patricia Ellis describes her diptych, ‘Carrying on Shoulder, 1&2, 2008,’ as ‘influenced by Persian miniatures, Renaissance and Chinese painting, setting her very contemporary dialogues within the rich fabric of history.’ [Ellis, 2008, ‘Unveiled.’ Exhibition Guide: Saatchi Gallery.] It is about a re-contextualisation. It is this that I am aiming to achieve in my own work.
You mention that you are also inspired by earlier periods of innovation in terms of graphic style, such as the Avant Garde and the Constructivists, does this mean that are you a techno-phobe then?
>>No, I like to mix and match the way in which I work. I do love the traditional method of screen-printing, although it is time intensive. I think this method of working, via the layering of images, matches the juxtapositions and interrelationships I try to convey with my work. Evidently, it is equally possible to layer images with Photoshop or Illustrator but this means you lose the tactile nature of hand-printing. In general, there has been a resurgence of interest in old methods of production and craftsmanship, from printing to stonemasonry, to dry stonewalling. There is a new appreciation of craftsmanship, which makes me feel that, as a contemporary illustrator, it is equally as relevant to work with old technology as the cutting edge of digital design, without the work becoming obsolete. For example, the artist Kate Gibb has become renowned for her screen-printing. In terms of design, I think that the developments in typography best illustrate the resurgence of interest in the ‘handmade.’ For Sarah King, hand-drawn type is integral to her work; ‘generally I draw inspiration from many eras –Russian Constructivism, Art Nouveau, 70s music posters, and especially anything handwritten.’ [King, S.A. ‘Evolving Type’ in ‘The art of typography.’ Computer Arts. No. 124. June 2009, p.15.] Interestingly, it was the verve with which the designers of Émigré sliced up and rearranged their text that made the magazine so revolutionary.
So how does current technology feature in your work?
>>Often I use it alongside more traditional methods, for example, I might use Photoshop to create the different layers of a design and then take them into the print rooms. It’s also really important to harness new technology as an illustrator because it is constantly evolving to provide new forums for promoting and commissioning work. For this reason, I have tried to make my work accessible online, even if the originals are not computer generated. For my latest project I have produced a short animation that incorporates images of the posters I produced. This is now available on youtube http://www.youtube.com/user/ogopogoart and at
http://www.aucbillustration2010.co.uk/helen-broadbridge Social networking sites are also a useful tool for self-promotion. I am currently setting up an online portfolio at http://www.linkedin.com Having a digital portfolio is important for approaching potential clients as it means they can access a greater body of my work instantaneously. The web is an area that needs constant attention if I wish to remain relevant and accessible as a designer.
Where do you see the position of your work in relation to current illustration practice as a whole?
>>I think that my work taps into two strands of contemporary illustration –the first is in terms of technique. As I mentioned, I see myself as part of the resurgence of more traditional production techniques. For example, a new silkscreen studio has just opened at Liverpool’s Bluecoat, which is already home to an etching studio. Its innovative ‘skillshare’ community is a great example of how the web can be used by artists to develop their work. They have just set up a blog: http://liverpoolillustrators.blogspot.com, where members can advertise a free training session in a skill they have in return for vouchers for free use of the print studios. [Interview: Prickett, R. ‘Screen Testers,’ Illustration. Spring 2010, p.46.] Interestingly, the printing press phenomenon is even bigger in America. The most renowned printing journal, Print Magazine, which promotes both digital and traditionally produced work, is an American publication. http://www.printmag.com. If I want to continue to make the production of my illustration as integral to the design as the images themselves, then I will need to expand my knowledge of traditional printing processes, such lithography, etching, wood cut and so forth.
How would you achieve this?
>>There are an increasing number of MA course available that allow specialisation in printing, for example at Bristol UWE, The Royal College of Art and Winchester College of Art. Bristol is also home to the Centre for Fine Print Research, which would be an amazing facility to have access to. It may also be possible to gain work experience at a printing press. I am currently researching if there are other setups that offer the potential of Bluecoats –their collective of six illustrators combine producing their own work alongside teaching courses and workshops. Perhaps in the future I could also consider working in America where massive organisations such as the APHA [American Printing History Association], and the Centre for Book Arts mean there are great opportunities for people working in print and book art.
And what is the second focal point of your work that you refer to?
>> This is more in terms of the content of my work; it is very socio-political in nature as this is what inspires me. I am therefore interested in editorial illustration that would allow me to comment on politics and society. This part of my work is evidently not so much about production methods, as turn-around times are very short. Publications such as ‘The Guardian’ and ‘The Times,’ or, ‘The New Statesman’ and ‘The New Yorker’ in the USA, still commission a fair amount of illustration work. Self-promotion will be fundamental to finding work in this area as it is generally based on freelance commissions. It will mean contacting art directors and sending my showreel or digital portfolio. I recently joined the Association of Illustrators http://www.theaoi.com as it gives me access to contact lists for art directors and also important information relating to contracts and finance.
So what’s next for you?
>>There are actually several directions that I would be happy to head in. I will investigate further the possibilities of doing an MA specialising in printing, whilst also promoting my current work with the aim of freelancing. Within this I think the areas for which my work would be relevant, include editorial, cover design and illustrations for publishers, music or magazines, or graphics for companies such as Fat Face. Further into the future, I have the possibility of combining skills from both my history and illustration degrees. Perhaps by combining the ability to both design and write copy into working for magazines and publications, or in art direction. I am also interested in the possibility of working as a curator; this would allow me to combine theory and practice. It is possible to do an MA in this area and larger institutions such as the V&A Museum and the British Museum do offer some work experience opportunities. My scope is broad, but I see that as a positive as it demonstrates how much space there is for illustration and illustrators in the design world.
This interview is also available on my blog at:
[1] My thesis is entitled: “From Shylock to Sheik to Terrorist.” Can the depiction of ‘Arab’ escape the synecdochial stereotype in contemporary visual culture?
Tuesday 18 May 2010
Monday 17 May 2010
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