It could be about you!
Making comment through sketching has been a long time interest of mine. An early start in expressing meaning, admittedly it could be disguised as humorous images but often more than not, those friends that are in the know, would ask “that was some dream?!!!!”. Not necessary a dream (but those are often documented as well) but mainly the factors that surround daily life, certainly take a front stage. There are many of these drawings, the small squares of coloured paper with ink drawn and smudged accordingly to its statement or ‘stamp’ of identity, now placed into a binder so they are all in one place as they have travelled in pockets, luggage, writing pads, passport or digitally on my iPad. The digital ones tend to be a different series as they are created through a digital pencil (although sometimes just using my finger on the screen) as opposed to those drawn with pen on paper.
Often this means of sketching has appeared in the occasional presentation or conference paper if required, ‘Art and Science as Creative Catalysts’, more often than not in my note pad especially whilst thinking through ideas during meetings and studio planning. Not quite the same as the ‘post-its’ sketches as the drawings are all over the page rather than individual sketches or grouped in a collection, often arranged in grid. These note pad sketches are translating a concept ready for production, often termed as the ‘design thinking process’ as shown below.
Above, on the left show my notes, pages of written text with visual references and sketches taken during a couple of meetings where as the image overplayed on top (wired head) is a sketch for a sculptural work to appear in a video work. The left side, shows thoughts around a 360 video recorded acting performance where all the elements are experimental, including the narrative. A collaborative production approach with colleagues at Charles Sturt University.
… and “Yes” the sketch could be about you as many a time a conversation is transcribed, an action or act of delivery, performance, a witness to an event, or simply a means to express comment. The informality of style, the delightful hand-drawn sketch, the immediacy of line on paper, the smudge of ink, the spit of dissolved colour and the authorship of voice through art, makes what can seem humorous and yet powerful images, impactful. The meaning may be complex – maybe not? However, beyond humorous they exist for a purpose to me … enjoy!
Eleanor Gates-Stuart
Reference:
Art and Science as Creative Catalysts, Conference: IEEE VIS Arts Program (VISAP)
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