COP 3 Proposal What is good? To what extent does social responsibility impact on the role and function of illustration?
I like the idea that illustration can be used for positive change and I feel that morals play an important part in my practice so this would be something interesting to investigate. This has been the basis of my applied illustration module in level five as the overall aim is to promote positivity and wellbeing. I think having social responsibility plays a big part in this discipline, the whole concept of communicating something through imagery can be put to good use and I feel communicating a positive message is important. Also raising awareness of things going on in the world and trying to combat censorship in the media is crucial for allowing people to form their own opinions. I also think it is important to encourage people to think for themselves, ask questions and think about the world we live in. I know that I feel this is important but it would be interesting to investigate opposing views, maybe looking into the morality of illustrating for big corporations or companies seen as unethical. There is the issue of whether morals should be part of your work or whether you choose not to let your own opinions influence your work. I am intrigued by the idea of standing up for what you think is right, and whether this is actually possible in today’s society. It would be interesting to look into current levels of censorship in the media and how much of the truth actually reaches the public. Battling against the manipulation of information could be a good starting point to research how the public can be made aware of the truth about current world issues through visual means.
Related Subjects Morals, ethics, individual opinion, world issues, the environment, health, technology, conflict, politics, religion, personal values, protection, warnings, advice, information, education, positivity, wellbeing, sharing opinion, battling oppression, freedom of speech, battling censorship, standing up for what’s right, hearing everyone's voice, taboo subjects, crime, rehabilitation, sharing experiences, selective sharing of information, censorship, advertising, targeting ‘weak’ audiences, corporations, power, consumerism, capitalism, choosing to accept or refuse work, morals over money or money over morals? content over technical ability or the reverse? communication, comment, concept, provoking thought, political correctness
Relevant Quotes ‘But is anyone listening? Who outside of the cozy world of graphic art and illustration is stepping inside to sample the goods? And once inside, what is there to be discovered? Are we offered much more than contemporary eye candy? Are we offered much more than mere nothingness?’ Lawrence Zeegen - ‘Where is the Content, Where is the Comment?’ https://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2012/february/where-is-the-content-where-is-the-comment-2/
‘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.’ Lawrence Zeegen - ‘Where is the Content, Where is the Comment?’ https://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2012/february/where-is-the-content-where-is-the-comment-2/
‘What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist.’ Salman Rushdie
‘We are drowning in information but starved for knowledge.’ John Naisbitt
‘Isn’t it strange how much we know if only we ask ourselves instead of somebody else.’ Richard Bach
‘The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance; it is the illusion of knowledge.’ Stephen Hawking
‘The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.’ Albert Einstein
Relevant Books Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do? By Michael J Sandel Emotional Intelligence By Daniel Goleman The Soul of Creativity By Roberta Kwall Modern Moral Matters Photo Book By Richard Hamilton Advertising Ethics By Edward Spence Obey the Giant: Life in the Image World By Rick Poyner The Ethics of Creativity Edited by Moran, S., Cropley, D., Kaufman, J.
Relevant Websites designobserver.com https://www.amnesty.org.uk/free-speech-freedom-expression-human-right http://www.ethicsingraphicdesign.org/censorship-a-sign-of-the-“times�/ http://www.globalissues.org http://www.humanity.org/positivechange http://media.about.com/od/mediaethics/a/How-Media-Censorship-Affects-The-News.htm
Relevant Images
Pawel Kuczynski Highlighting the issue of poverty and the vast difference between the lives of these children. It provokes thought and might make people appreciate what they have more.
Steve Cutts
John Holcroft Tackling the issue of obesity, raising awareness of modern day health issues.
Commenting on the divide in society between the extremes of rich and poor.
Banksy Highlighting the issue that freedom of speech is still repressed in society. Also tells us that visual communication promotes the sharing of information and can change things.
Pretzel Crisps Advertisement that was banned for being pro-anorexia. Insensitive and unethical.
Shiyang He Posters designed to remid people to give up their seat for pregnant women. He is sharing what he thinks is the right thing to do through visual means.