Person's of Note - Task 1

The work of London based duo Expanded Eye really speaks to me and inspires me with a direction to push my work in.

This particular illustration was for the band Biffy Clyro for a poster for a one off show they were putting on. The brief given was to reinterpret two different album covers; Blackened Sky and Puzzle. 

The thing that really appeals to me about their work is their use of mixed media throughout, and the juxtapositions and contrasts they incorporate within each image. Solid filled shapes and thin, fine details are next to areas of noise and texture and pattern. They have such an appealing balance of process and style which makes every piece very dynamic and interesting. Couple this with their quite absurd and otherworldly characters with exaggerated limbs and mismatched features, then each image ends up weaved with a narrative with emotion and character and personality. I have always adored work that really skews human form in such a way that they do, making certain features elongated whilst others may exist only as simple shapes. Their images are then collages, even if they are just draw or painted; although ephemera and found textures are also evidently very important in their work, something else which I am immensely attracted to. Found images and collage are features too, and nod quite strongly to the dada movement, adopting the strange and absurd.

Perhaps because of the elongated, otherworldly anatomical forms, their work can take on quite a dark tone of voice. The faces can commonly look mournful or blank, with white eyes and gestural hands. 

I want to try and push mixed media in a similar direction, and to try and weave in stories and narratives in the subtle ways they do. By using different styles within one piece it gives the work a more tangible feel to it, with textures and marks next to more refined and detailed drawings. It also would build up a nice process of making an image, without the constraints of one medium to restrict or bog down the actual image making; it keeps it fluid and interesting and unpredictable. 

I feel like this will work very effectively with my Alfred Jarry work as well. With the dada reference to start, I think by using many different media and juxtaposing imagery I will be able to try and convey his eccentric and unpredictable personality and work.