Falmouth Illustration Forum 2019

Falmouth Illustration Forum, March 1st 2019

The theme of the day was Chaos, but the day of presentations was well organised and stimulating.

The MA course leader, Steve Braund and Hannah Waldron have been working with students and

people who are involved with the Chaos Cafe in Truro which exists to help those with mental

stress. It's a democratically organised project and helps self expression of peoples' stories. As an

ex art therapist I thought maybe there was rather a style emerging coming from the influences of

mixing of students working with the cafe participants rather in contrast to the way an art therapist

holds back to allow the client free reign however upsetting their expression and their feelings. This

is something different, a therapeutic use of art and collaboration in a group, not the intensity of

psychologically demanding and confidential art therapy.

David Foldvari was very entertaining and gave insight into his work as a political cartoonist,

working quickly to deadlines. He was very encouraging and informative about his day to day life

and working methods.

Imogen Lacey speaking

There were lots of speakers, referring to algorhythms, philosophy, work with chemotherapy patients, a project in The Netherlands where students live rent free with oldpeople in a home and join in their activities, a project to involve Latin American residents at Elephant and Castle. There were questions raised about artists being shipped in on projects and how to work sensitively.

Kat Johnson spoke about appropriation and had been inspired by Bohemian Rhapsody to make a

Brexitian Catastrophe animation.

Sometimes speakers spoke so quickly to cover all they had prepared that I could hardly keep up.

Edel Rodriguez

A Skype link with Edel Rodriguez in America worked well. He posts anti Trump images online

without being paid for them, explaining that it's only 5 percent of his work and you don't have to be

paid for everything when you feel a need to speak out.

Alternatively the gender fluid artist Frank Duffy pointed out that there is no need to do work for

nothing 'for exposure' and added that people can die of exposure.

There was a lively buzz to the day and I left energized, very pleased to find illustrators involved in

social engagement, in important current ideas and problems, well aware that the personal is

political.

As many MA courses have closed, Illustration at Falmouth remains a beacon of light, as it was

pointed out is the meaning of illustration,to cast light on things, to make sense.

I consider the Illustration courses are the refuge of artists who can and want to draw and to draw attention to contemporary issues.