Challenging Illustration

"As our visual language evolves the playing field is levelling. Graphic designers, sculptors, painters, creative developers, and even musicians amorphously meander across different parts of our creative industries. As a consequence, I often wonder what the term 'Illustration' now means. Maybe as a medium it might need to do more than vocationalise aesthetics and cultivate a border palate of profundity for it's own survival." Michael Salu Artistic director of Grants Magazine 2012 Varoom

After reading this article i begin to start asking myself why people are so concerned about where the industry is heading. Over the years it has changed shapes and has bettered itself within society, i know as a society develops, as does everything around it and i don't think design should be an exception to this. It is perfectly fine to find yourself delving into different paths as it broadens the creative mind and also broadens the minds of those watching us, by changing the way we see and know things we learn, and find ways to better our creative understanding, i mean to say that this should and will go for Animation, Illustration, Graphic design... everything. Politics and art have always gone hand in hand but as i understand extremities will always occur and continue to push the boundaries, for example Damien Hirst and Tracy Emin have recently been in the news due to people arguing against their 'art work' and therefore they aren't being sold in auctions anymore, I think society shapes everything and filters all the other things out that we aren't ready to face yet, or maybe things that should never have been here at all! My views on Damien Hirst and Tracy Emin aside, if the boundaries are being pushed, who says it's a bad idea anyway? What are we so worried about? The meaning of illustration will never be lost, it will always continue to be because it is always needed. I don't think a name change is in order, i simply think  that if something new breaks off from what we know as illustration, that alone will be considered something else completely. I definitely think all illustrators, designers... basically everyone, should push the boundaries, it's how we learn. Even if this is all one big mistake, we have learnt from it. In terms of seeing it being done within my own work, I can't say I make my work specifically to push the boundaries of this issue, I actually just think it happens by accident, and it happens by the choices we make, it's hard to avoid, for example, at some point in my life i will more than likely be asked to make an animation, and it will be both illustrations and moving image, because it's what I know, I don't think the types of design are all that different anyway and are intermingled with each other. If it evokes enough emotion, whether it be outrage or love, it will be strong enough to shape people perceptions.

Also, in terms of eBooks and apps, making artwork free and accessible is quite futuristic to me, because as a community peoples class doesn't matter like it used to hundreds of years ago (within art) it's to share with the world, and in today's it has to be quick fast and easy, an app is quick easy cheap and also permanent. It's always in your pocket when you need it. The potential downside of this thing i can see happening is people won't want to visit galleries anymore because it's easier to get it electronically. But i think for a creative person specifically or just someone who is passionate, then you'd always want to go and see it in reality, because it's so much better than having it on your iPhone. We can boast to our artsy friends about it! 

This is the article I was reading the other week about Tracy Emin and Damien Hirst, I think they're perfect examples of pushing the boundaries and for it not to be accepted. Although my opinion isn't necessarily correct, A whole lot of people agree that this is taking it too far, some people love this though purely because of the fact that they challenge society. It is purely a subjective matter. The people who add fuel (Like Emin and Hirst) to the issue will keep the fire burning and society (who in the instance would be the wind) blow it in the direction of the way they make it go.

Pictures and Article here:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2239504/As-prices-Damien-Hirsts-works-plummet-pity-credulous-saps-spent-fortunes-tosh.html