In this essay I will be exploring and investigating graphic
symbolism and formal qualities and how they are used and conveyed in images
from traditional graphic illustrators to contemporary illustrators.
Manga is a type of visualized narrative that is created in
comics in Japan. Manga is a style of
artistic expression in Japan that is immersed in a social environment including
history, language, culture, economy, politics, education and gender. Japanese language has shaped manga. For
example Japanese onomatopoeia written in the background becomes part of the
graphics that help us understand the image. McCloud (1994) “symbolic representations are closer to
language”. (1)
Osamu Tezuka is known as “the father of Manga” he has
inspired a generation of Manga artists and shaped the national debate about
medical reform in Japan. One of his medical Manga’s is called Black Jack, where
a gifted but unlicensed surgeon, Black Jack performs complicated operations on
humans and animals who charges extortionate prices. The outrageous fees are a test to make sure
his patients try to appreciate that life itself is more valuable than any
money. Rejected by the medical business
he gives services to criminals and outcasts. Within 230 volumes of Black Jack
there are many traits of graphic symbolism that Tezuka incorporates. His use of large eyes showed on the characters
in the image, have been shown in his early work influenced from American
counter parts like Betty Boop and Bambi, that are now a stylistic hallmark of
Manga (2). In one of the panels the lady
is crying out saying “it’ll take us time just to find him” with big tear drops
falling and a flash of light behind her.
These graphic emblems heighten the emotional impact of sadness and worry
and creatively adapt to better suit the graphic form e.g. the crying lady.
However these panels of images have non-conventional visual symbols that is
seen in Shojo manga, that you can see through the various pattern of mark
making and positive and negative spaces in the background that helps set the
scene for the eerie tale of black jack (3).
David Shrigley is an illustrator from Glasgow that
has many formal qualities to his work.
From handwritten scribbles, quick eratic mark making and gauche subject
matter. He implies a personal and
spontaneous approach to his work.
In this image this simplistic line drawing from the “how are you
feeling? At the centre of the inside of
the humans brain?” exhibition (5) (6), conveys a man looking into a green
puddle of beer that makes us think about the use of the colour green and how it
can convey envy, hatred and many other somber emotions that go alongside the
addiction, gambling and alcoholism of life.
The type that is juxtaposition beside the image can be read easily in
his own writing, that is formatted like
line writing in detention to look like something you would see in the classroom
that helps the observer relate to it so well due to being brought back to their
own childhood. Even though the man in the positive space is simplistic it is
very controlled that implies that Shrigley erratic approach has defiance to his
thoughts of subject matter, “with drawing, you are very in control of what you
are doing, you know, your always constructing images yourself. Where as with photography there’s an aspect
of chance to the images you get” David Shrigley(4). Overall his drawings are easily recognised
due to them being gummy, gauche, boneless limbs, crossing-out ink blots,
handwriting appearing backwards and good use of bizarre grammar word order to
get his meaning across to express his own visual ventriloquism.
Edward Hopper is a best-known American realist
for the inter-war period that created solitude and introspective themes in his
work. In 1899 he decided to become an
artist and started off with illustration at the New York School of
Illustration. In 1906 Hopper went to Paris and travelled around Europe and was influenced
by the modern movement, however he became restless and he never set foot in
Europe again. For some time he painted
flash backs of what he had seen abroad “It took me 10 years to get over Europe”
Edward Hopper (7). Therefore from his experiences he created Nighthawks that was
inspired by a diner on a corner in Greenwich Avenue in Hoppers New York
neighbourhood. The composition of
objects in the piece that are dotted around e.g. the abandoned water glass and
sugar jars emphasize the empty space.
The quiet atmosphere and dark use of light symbolises the figures
mysterious relationships with one another. Although Hopper has improvised with light to
create atmosphere he has also tampered with scale in his subject matter “I
simplified the scene a great deal and made the restaurant bigger” Edward Hopper
(8).
Hopper captures the reality of modern life and combines
emotional states via physical settings that he constructs with distinguished
use of angles, shadows, patterns of light and most of all perspective. His scenes that are shot through and framed
by wdows and doorways give an unnerving impression. The architecture outlines
the composition and therefore the use of light gives an overall balance and illuminates
the framework. Also with the help of fluorescent light coming into the early
1940s, the diner releases an eerie glow that gives an obvious understanding of
hopper being able to express endless possibilities of light improvising on
uncomplicated shapes and forms.
From the formal qualities and subject matter of this image we
can observe that Ernest Hemingway story “the killers” a detective novel is a
key influence to his work (8). You can
clearly see the attributes of the French impressionists in his work through his
open composition, emphasis on the depiction of light, and peculiar visual
angles. Most importantly the post
impressionist and surrealist are a key influence. Hopper has opened up his
personal view of the visual world and has spontaneously communicated use of
colour and form to describe emotion and movement that many of the Post
Impressionists have incorporated. On the other hand you can see that Hopper
uses the unconscious as a source of inspiration like many of the surrealist
utilised. (8)
Aubrey Beardsley was an English illustrator and
author who drew highly sexualised drawings throughout the Victorian
period. His symbolic illustrations
ridiculed the narrow-mindedness of the Victorian age and encouraged full
openness to discover sexuality. His
balanced areas of solid black and areas of open white with intricate detail
delicately illustrated over leading into graceful sweeping curves, gives a lot
of his images a romantic quality. This
was a subject that the Victorians found hard to approach especially with
Beardsely’s interpretation of sexuality throughwhat they saw as grotesque and unnatural style with
bodies that were not idealized. (9)what they saw as grotesque and unnatural style with
bodies that were not idealized. (9)
Emily Haworth Booth is a contemporary illustrator who has recently done a short
graphic novel for The Obsever called Colonic. She hasn’t had much artist
training apart from studying an art foundation at Chelsea College where as a
student she made illustrated books. From
being a receptionist to a stand up comedian Booth has always had an interest in
illustration and graphics, especially through the eyes of Chris Ware. (11)
Colonic graphically symbolises one of the
therapies you have done by inserting natural herb with water via the rectum for
the colon to receive. This unpleasant
process has defiantly been shown in a humorous way by being edited and
exaggerated in the ways of ChrisWare, a graphic illustrator. For example ware
brings together two classically contrasting methods of up-to-date storytelling,
spare and objective and on the other hand excessive and subjective (12a) Booth
does this by taking a subjective view of colonic irrigation but also uses an
objective view by using a particularcolour scheme, brown, blue and white and “crude like” speech
from the Chinese woman presented at the top of the panel so the reader is drawn
to this.
Booth was inspired by this piece by originally keeping a
diary of her encounters as part of her recovery process from chronic fatigue
syndrome. You can clearly see from her controlled, simple drawings with abrupt
language that goes hand in hand very well, that gives a kind of “home” like
humour to the piece when you view this graphic novel. Through Booth using a clean (antiseptic)
illustration style by her enhance of simple linear drawings and light blue in
her colour scheme that remind me of the NHS and brown that symbolises the
colour of faeces she keeps it all very real! In contrast Ware does this as
well, bringing in reality into his graphic novel through graphic symbolism by
arranging and composing scenes into enfolded patterns “ through fantasises into
other realities, through public events that stream at us in frames and
screens-all going on simultaneously, all woven together” says Chris Ware. (12b)
Gabriel Moreno is a contemporary illustrator who illustrates
these wonderful women in an organic way.
In June 2007 he was selected amongst 20 new talents of illustration, by
the London based magazine computer arts that put him as a unique illustrator. (16)
From originally taking a degree in Fine Art at
the university of Sevilla in 1998 he has now reached the main motif that he
draws for is the exquisite features of woman.
Using pen and ink he expresses shadow of pattern over the face to convey a fairy-tale
like
atmosphere. The high
colour contrast and warm and cool colour schemes stimulates texture. It draws the eye to the activeness and organic
mark making upon layers of images that take you into an erotic world of place
and memory. (15)
Moreno illustrations have made him internationally known. “His
distinct style that combines a deep etched engraved style with surreal get a
sensitive flamboyance” (13) through his formal qualities and subject matter of
nature and woman in his work, he reminds us of how we are all linked together
on earth. “a reminder, if you will that
this world is not ours along to do what we please. Co-existence and respect for each other is
the key take away. For that alone this
iconic and innovate artist should be noted.” (14)
Polyp is a radical political cartoonist that lives in
Manchester and has been drawing cartoons since 1980 for Leeds student Newspaper
where he first took it up. He now associates with clients such as New
Internationalist Magazine where he got his first break with the issue “Starve
Trek”, the Ethical Consumer Magazine, WDM, Christian Aid, Liberty and many
more. Recently he has explored and illustrated
a graphic novel called The Co-op Revolution.
This novel looks at the business model that can be used as a foundation
for future well being. It looks at the
beginning of the co-op movement and the beneficial impacts the co-op has done
and will do in 2044. (17)
Influenced by Steve Bell and Matt Brooks’s use
of graphic symbolism. Polyp clean crisp style of drawing that you can clearly
see in this cartoon image of football he has done “Owned! Mutual soccer action”
graphically works due to the line work that is used after the football has been
kicked encouraging movement and therefore an unrealisticperspective.
Polp also graphically uses text within the crowd and speech bubbles
about the subject matter and incorporates the client that he is illustrating
“co-operation yesterday today tomorrow always” he ties in everything through
line and type and make us realise about injustices we’re surrounded by. His work makes people ponder on his cartoons
and emboldens and entertains especially this graphic novel that opens up his
high interest in world history that he wants people to be aware of. “We point out in the graphic novel that every cell in our bodies, and
those of almost all life on the planet are endosymbiotic co-operatives-
separate organisms with their own DNA, working together as a single unit.”Polyp
says. (18)
Steve Bell is a political cartoonist that has produced for
Punch, Private Eye, Radio Times, The Spectator and most importantly The
Guardian. Bell argues that “in the
cartoon lies the grain of truth” (19) by his metaphorical graphic language he
focuses on George Bush and Tony Blair in many of his works including Margaret
Thatcher.
He depicts Tony Blair as a dog “Americas Poodle”
due to Bush dragging Britain into the Iraq War. He depicts the same mad eye as
Margaret Thatcher and a very pointed head which along with his ears, can be
used to make any object e.g. the speed camera and giant eye. Through utilising
wordplay and corse humour and euphemistic variants he also depicts George Bush
as a stupid Chimpanzeeinspired by the film Bedtime for Bonzo which Ronald Reager (
US president at the same time as Margaret Thatcher 1980s) appeared in with a chimp. Bell greeted Bush election with a cartoon
“Bigtime for Bonzo”.
As a result Bell graphically symbolises his work through
keeping political egos deflated and represent the characters victims
symbolically through visual metaphor. (20)
Overall discussing and exploring graphic symbolism and
visual qualities of these artists, I have learnt they both can be showed in
many different motifs through media, perspective, pattern, mark making and many
more. Therefore with these various motifs of graphic symbolism and visual
qualities the artist’s message of their work can be changed easily.
