Summary
Article outlining a form of practice formed on BA Illustration at Camberwell College of Arts: method illustration. Authored by Jen Franklin (JF) and Dr Rachel Emily Taylor (RET).
Keywords: experience, understanding, expectations, theatre, performance, rehearsal
Definitions
Method illustration – an illustration research method that requires a person to embody, become, make or engage experientially with their research topic
Method acting – established by Lee Strasberg, it is a research method for actors that encourages them to embody a role
Notes
- Method illustration is a research method emerging on the BA Illustration course at Camberwell College of Arts.
- It requires that students ‘do’ the topic they are making work ‘about’. For example, a student drawing the process of cheesemaking, actually learns to make cheese.
- Students carry out the tasks with risk assessments and create reports in a record. Reports may come in the form of drawings, photographs, film, writing or objects.
- The reports may become outcomes or may exist to achieve a deeper understanding of the topic and propel a project forward.
- Performativity is commonly used within illustrative practices.
- RET is intrigued by the ‘synthesis between performance and illustration’ (pg. 2).
- The practice emerged through a series of workshops on the course.
- The process takes cues from Constantin Stanislavski’s System (‘Given Circumstances’ and ‘Magic If’, 1936.) and rehearsal techniques, foundational to Strasberg’s ‘method acting’.
- The exercises encourage exploring through action.
- RET uses the metaphor of fuel and heat to describe the benefit of this methodology, referencing Tom Selwyn’s ‘hot authenticity’. (1996.) The intangible, emotional responses audiences have are the ‘heat’.
- RET questions the boundaries of self and other: “Stanislavski’s Emotion Memory encouraged an actor to apply his/her own memories to their character’s experiences. But when practising illustration and telling another’s story, we must not lose sight of the fact that even if we ‘stand in another’s shoes’ (Klein [1959] 1988: 252) we do not stand in their skin.” (pg. 3)
- JF cites the beginning of method illustration with the discussion of Michael Beirut’s essay ‘Warning may contain non design content’ (2007.) and how illustration and design are nearly always about ‘something else.’
- ‘Make Cheese’ project asked students to go away and make something then return and explain ‘how it worked’. Students took on active rather than passive roles.
- Is the knowledge gained from the research assimilated into ‘an illustration’? What is an illustration anyway? Regardless, method illustration is a way to discover and understand.
- Method illustration works from ‘familiar realms and inherited knowledge’ as coined by Rogoff (2019) in ‘Becoming research’.
- ‘…research becomes the thing itself and a process of becoming.’ (pg. 8)
- Stepping into another’s role requires respect.
- Making things tangible can lead to new discoveries and unpredictable outcomes.
Reflection
This article was suggested to me after expressing frustration with ‘traditional’ research techniques. I think my exact words were: ‘I just want to be doing stuff. Not reading about doing stuff.’ I am lucky to work alongside the two authors who instantly recognised my desire.
I relate to the ideas of ‘risk’ and ‘unpredictability’ expressed in this article. What I am choosing to do for the ARP is risky, I have no idea how people will respond to the outcome. I’m viewing this as a start of a relationship (performer and audience?) that will allow for feedback, a kind of constant rehearsal.
By embodying the thing that I am researching (podcasting as a pedagogical tool, humour in pedagogy, educator as performer) I can hope to at least understand these positions, whether or not I’m any good at them individually is besides the point.
References
Franklin, J. and Taylor, R.E. (2022) ‘Method illustration’, Journal of Illustration, 9(1), pp. 115–142. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1386/jill_00052_1.
