Most of my creative work these days is focused on creating 'memes'. Sometimes this takes the form of a digital collage of mine or other peoples' photos and varying amounts of drawing to make individual components fit together seamlessly with my words finally added. Sometimes it is work I've made from scratch - from the original idea, drawing in biro, scanning, digitising, colouring, adding text.
It took me a while to find a word to describe what I was doing. If you look at both definitions above, the word 'meme' does the job, though personally I am more focused on the humorous side of things, albeit in a very critical, paradoxical context.
When my students ask me what I do I explain the process but when it comes to explaining my intention, the easiest way to do that is to use the Australian phrase: taking the piss.
In the current fraught economic, political and climate change dominated world the process of creating memes has been my sanctuary and saviour. It allows me to vent my frustration in a creative way whilst not really upsetting anyone, well only a bit maybe. I can say things in memes I wouldn't say in words alone. Memes are short and punchy, they can deliver an effective 'critical' blow while at the same time keeping people amused. 'Entertaining' people is possibly the only way to get them to listen to what you are saying.
Although the digital method is relatively new, this type of work isn't new to me at all. When I went through and destroyed most of my 45 years worth of visual diaries last year I discovered some old 'social commentary' type cartoons - like the one below. Which is proof that deep down, people don't really change, they just get older.
Images:
1. Screen shot definition
2. Author. Original hand drawn, digitally redrawn and coloured
3. Author. Original hand drawn with mapping pen on paper c. 1990s
No comments:
Post a Comment