Leeds College of Art BA (Hons) ILLUSTRATION
Level
06
OUIL603 Extended Practice
Credits
60
STUDIO PRACTICE Thomas O’Connor Statement of Intent Rationale •
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Identify professional competition and live briefs to show that my practice is commercially viable. Advertisements could prove to be a valuable industry for my work. Utilising conceptual skills to solve other rich people’s problems. Combining this with a body of personal performance work, with the aim for it to be exhibited showcasing merchandise such as prints and apparel. Helping me find the right balance between the personal and professional. The underground niche humour is something companies want to tap into. Maintaining humour in self-initiated briefs and feeding my personality back into other areas of work. Humour keeps me sane, insanity isn’t funny. Creating authentic work that’s easily attributed to me. To me, my work can never be purely decorative, it’s needs to make a statement or tell a story - even if the statement or story is stupid. I’m being careful not to pigeon hole myself to a specific spectrum of illustration by creating a versatile process to apply to cross-disciplinary briefs. I left a well-paid job due to its creative restrictions, I’m not prepared to become locked down to being a one-trickpony and aim for my work to be applied across a variety of contexts successfully. However, it is important for me to specialise in process and developing a humourous tone of voice throughout each piece of work in my portfolio. Selecting briefs outcomes involving movement and murals is extending my practice.
Themes •
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Humour, obviously. (It comes in many shapes and sizes and not one glove fits all - I aim to explore this during this module, there may become a certain strand of humour which compliements my way of working?) Witty. (Wherever possible the outcomes will involve maximum wit, more than mere controversy) Engaging. (It needs to connect to the audience) Thought-provoking. (It needs to get audience thinking or laughing, even debating) Concept-driven. (Needs to be reason why I’m doing things) Story-telling (using type, personality and character wherever possible) Playful. (Even the most serious briefs have scope for play and don’t need a rigid formula) Energetic. (Created through a quick drawn aesthetic) Underground DIY approach to image making and movement.