There is a lot of talk about how an illustration needs to be part of the narrative...is that true? or can it support the story with an image that is a snapshot of a moment, an artist's interpretation of an aspect of the story, a portrait of a character--or is this talk based on the model of illustration driving to fill an editorial need in magazines, magazine covers versus logotypes,product illustration, character design and rendering, murals etc. Is the old model of expectation, the projects, the art director still here but in the way of the typesetter, is a dying breed that will be supplemented with another demand that those illustrators who are watching and learning from their world, will pick up and exploit? When stock photography came on board, the ASMP and photographers I worked with in general,wrung their hands and declared their businesses were over etc. Now, ten year later, the same weeping ones still have businesses--maybe not the same if they were overpaid as the ones ten years earlier, but jobs none the less. They are not as lavishly paid as they used to--which for me as an art director, was a bit shocking that I did the think work, the layout, the drawing out of each photograph, the hiring and contract making with the "talent", fulfilled the POs and paying--and the photographer who was in the large part until the prep for the shoot and the shoot itself was waited on hand and foot. And I was paid a fraction to the photography for the job. My layouts and art direction and imagine, concept--was what pulled the job through. And did I say client wrangling was part of the deal too? Now, there are not gigantic Annual Report budgets (because there are not gigantic budgets anyway, and Annual Reports have finally morphed to 401K wrap-arounds which I have been advocating for well on 12 years). So the priorities are no longer in a printed annual report. Stock art is populating the web. Where is the money going? Who is paying? What are they paying for? Who is their artistic celebrity? How can I go there? or can I? Is there a niche that is not owned yet? Is there a corner in this market for me? Or is it trending towards fine art...and just forget the known editorial audience...and go for broke. Maybe I have something to say. Maybe?
Just got back from back to back Home Despot (intentional) and Lowies...purchase included a Cimmeron Toilet, faucet set, off white brick shaped tile, grout, pipes and tubes,a dehumidifier for the basement, an a wall sconce. It feels like the downstairs under the stairs gabinetto is almost ready to plugged in. Sink from Rennovators Supply is here...waiting silently.
More later.