The critical studies lecture given by Mike last Wednesday was kinda personal to me. Being born in 1982 I'm one of the few students who actually remembers the eighties, and I have fond memories. Lots of the pop culture passed me by being so young, but also it wasn't so generic for me, sure Duran Duran and Wham were storming the nation, but my mom liked her cock-rock and my dad listened to prog-rock and classical on the family record & cassette player. I don't remember much about the Berlin wall, but I remember samosas and picking blackberries from around the corner for crumble. I have my own little world of memories which are not on any TV broadcast . All this reminiscing gave me a few thoughts to dwell on.
1) There is a whole universe behind every character or setting. I can think back to the eighties and pull up vague images of how I thought the world was to me - and it falls nowhere near anything you can find anywhere in a library or on the internet.
Not only do these memories shape how I perceive the world - impacting on my visual work & experience, but they also show me that there is a different story for each person. It's impossible for my not to be influenced by my past, but I can try to think about the inner workings of a culture/personality/location when illustrating it.
For example I have been modelling texturing a simple bin. This bin I have made dirty, scraped and with a graffiti tag. This is going to be very authentic as images used are all taken locally, beyond that is some artistic expression; Scratches and tarnishing shows scrapes as the bin has gone down a narrow ally way, the mud, graffiti and paint mark all make sense if the bin was place the place I would actually put my own bin - One side more exposed to the road and passers by. The reflections from the graffiti show the cheap spray used and technique where the spray is more intense from close proximity. The council logo I made to looks like inaccurate paint stamped over embossed pressing.
It is only a bin, but it has it's own story.
2) The world is not a cliche'. My story of my youth is unique, not everyone in the eighties is from the eighties. I mean that we should look beyond the immediate. Mike has said a few times "Don't just be influenced by the last game you played", this is rethink of that. It is very true, but also you can look beyond google images and fabricate your own universe.
I have seen many talented artists who's work I just don't like. Not because it is bad, but because it adds nothing to anything. I'm really put of concept drawing for this reason, lots of the characterisations & stylisation appear generic or stale. Is like looking at a picture of a picture (done with a textured brush).
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