This question was asked to us on the first week of the BA Illustration and Visual Media program. It opened a debate with the whole first year BA students. It was a very interesting start but this debate left me rather confused. I’ll have a lot to learn this year.
The entire IMV BA program was reunited in a room. More than 120 students in the same room (pretty oppressing setting already), and with one question: What is illustration?
They divided us into small groups to debate then we shared our answers. It was a long list of every form illustration could take, from traditional drawing in a book to abstract collage, including fabric printing, animation and so much more. It felt like everything could be considered to be an illustration.
But if everything is illustration, then nothing is?
It was more confusing than I expected. We were given a broad variety of artworks that were seen as illustration. But i wasn’t able to see the common link between all of them. I realised my definition of illustration was very limited compared to all the possibilities this art offered.
I tried to think about this question in another way: what is not illustration?
The etymology of the word comes from the latin ‘illustrare’ meaning to shine a light on. To illustrate seems to be defined by a goal rather than a specific media. I will do more research on this.
I realised with this class that I needed to be open to new ways of making my art and at the same not to lose my style and my personality. I have explore news techniques and experiment, and at the same time stay close to my personal obsessions/themes.