Where is the content? Where is
the comment? It’s all about the materials, rather than the message. It’s
all about the quantity rather than the quality. It’s all about design
doing rather than design thinking. It’s all style over content, function
following form. Illustration has withdrawn from the big debates of our
society to focus on the chit-chat and tittle-tattle of inner-sanctum
nothingness.
Zeegan, Lawrence. (2012) Where is the content? Where is the comment? Creative
Review [On-line] Available at:
https://www.creativereview.co.uk/where-is-the-content-where-is-the-comment/ [Accessed:
8 September 2016]
For the context of practice brief the quote i have chosen to investigate further is above, and falls under the topic of POLITICS.
I have BOLD highlighted what i think are the key terms in the quote.
CONTENT; things that are held or included in something, what it 'contains'
COMMENT; a verbal or written remark expressing an opinion or reaction.
MESSAGE; a significant political, social, or moral point that is being conveyed.
This quote seems to me to be saying that illustration has lost its political standing and is no longer focused on discussing important social commentary but has now become more of a menial form of little jokes and meaningless tat. It is suggesting that illustration has become almost thoughtless 'It’s all about design
doing rather than design thinking' and that illustration has become less of a important political device and is more focused on cheap humour or 'tat'. Function following form, style over content; this suggesting that illustrators are concerned more by how the image looks rather than why they made it. thoughtless aestheics as opposed to considered pointmaking.
I DISAGREE, however, i feel that this may be true for a lot of illustration especially in todays extremely saturated market where everyone is an illustrator on instagram or tumblr doing fan portraits of justin bieber or beckham etc etc. the image is a very powerful thing and if you find the right people illustrators today are still saying very important things and satirists are creating very clever images that can be viewed on multiple levels. Many illustrations can be read mindless and be seen as a small giggle but also if you think deeper perhaps about what the image represents or what it is subtly commenting on then it is still involved in the 'big debates of our society.'
HOW DOES IT FIT WITH THE OVERALL THEME?
The quote is suggesting that illustration today lacks a 'message' or is shying away from society's current big debates. the theme of politics is what is the quote is saying illustration is moving away from. Illustrators apparently now focus on the chit-chat and tittle-tattle of inner-sanctum
nothingness' which i suppose all depend on where you are looking for your illustrations. If you scroll tumblr for example the trending illustrations will be about popular culture and focus on todays current trend, usually focusing around celebrity, which i suppose does not contain much 'content' other than false idolisation.
