How does abstract illustration communicate ideas to an audience? Discuss. Abstract derives from a Latin word meaning ‘pulled away, detached’ - the basic principle of abstract art being to create something ‘detached from physical, or concrete reality’. People often associate abstract art with being difficult to understand and many become disillusioned by the lack of ‘visual reality’ present in the work. Illustration, on the other hand, is a practice that focuses upon communication with its audience, it being the ‘act of illuminating’, ‘clarifying or explaining’ ‘a text, concept or process’. Abstract illustration could therefore seem a contradictory in practice; however, in evaluation of semiotics, colour and other theory’s we may begin to understand how it can effectively and clearly communicate ideas, in spite of remaining non-representational. Icons are images that ‘physically resemble the thing it represents’ (Crow, 2016), a prime example of this being a photograph. According to Pierce and Saussure an iconic image is a ‘highly motivated sign’ (Crow, 2016), because it takes little learning or insight to understand its meaning. Using iconic images that remain close to the reality of a photograph would therefore seem the most clear and effective way to communicate with an audience visually. In dispute of this, according to McCloud the simplification of an image makes the communication of a concept more immediate and direct, because it forces us to ‘focus our attention on an idea’ (McCloud, 2001). McCloud further argues that ‘by stripping down an image to its essential ‘meaning’, an artist can amplify that meaning in a way that realistic art can’t’ (McCloud, 2001). This amplification of meaning can be achieved through manipulating the colour, aesthetic and style of that image in order to reflect a specific mood or tone of voice.
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