Society

RECOGNIZE,          PROVOKE,          CHALLENGE.

My manifesto is made up simply of three words that I feel sum up my aims in the work I will produce now and in future. One example of a piece of work that I feel aligns with my values is David Plunkerts, New Yorker cover:

'Blowhard', was a politically fuelled illustration that Plunkert produced in response to Trump's weak action against hate groups which some may argue he's fuelling. Plunkert say's himself that, "A picture does a better job showing my thoughts than words do; it can have a light touch on a subject that’s extremely scary.”. I find this a very accurate way of expressing my personal philosophy when it comes to producing work. I want to strive to bring attention to serious and scary issues in a way that is accessible and digestible to many. I believe this image is evidence of good practice. The simplicity of its production contrasted with the large issue it communicates is really powerful and allows for a lot of food for thought. This image was on the cover of The New Yorker which further enforces the strength of this piece of work. I believe this because it is displayed on such a public platform that so many people are potentially able to view it and thus be informed by it. 

On the contrary, a piece of work I feel does not align with my views as an illustrator is this piece produced by Ben Newman (different to other Ben Newman!):

It's not at all that I don't think the work is bad, I definitely appreciate the effort and skill that's gone into producing this and other images of this genre. However, in my own work I'd like to be producing work that has a more real-worldy meaning behind it. Something that actually has the potential to inspire change and tackles issues that many are affected by. I want to use techniques that may also be associated with this type of image making but in a way that infers something grander. Like my manifesto says, I want to challenge norms and hopefully inspire change. I think the main difference between this piece and the first illustration, is that this is created purely for satisfying the imagination whereas with the first one, links and opinions can be drawn from it that provide food for thought.