Part A Editorial Field Research 500 words

 

Representation of the macabre and grotesque within editorial illustration

The role of editorial illustration is to help set tone and convey the overall messages that articles aim to put across to the audience. So, what happens when the subject that needs conveying is on the darker side?

The go to for most illustrators would be to soften the subject using visual metaphors, softer and less harsh colours, like these pieces of editorial illustration by Tra Nhu on the topic of mental health, a notoriously dark subject.

The reasoning behind using softer colours and imagery is logical, to almost lessen the blow on the audience, to not ‘depress’ them. My issue with this approach is that it lessens the emotional effect that the overall subject of mental health should have. Sure, the illustrations are calming and visually pleasant, but I find them to be too light-hearted for the subject matter. I think that sometimes more harsh and shocking imagery should be used to amplify the emotional value and to help the message stick in the viewers mind, it may not be pleasant to view but the overall shock factor should make the audience think more on the subject instead of overlooking the “pretty” images.

Although not an illustration, a good example of using raw and powerful imagery to represent a ‘macabre’ subject, is this issue on violence by Colors Magazine.

The front cover is an image of a victim of a beating outside a nightclub in Johannesburg, South Africa. There’s no avoidance of the darkness of the subject or deep metaphors on this cover, just a graphic and raw image of an injured man. This immediately catches the viewers attention due to the shock value and creates an intense emotional reaction. The fact that the cover sticks in your mind is a good judgment of how effective this magazine's use of  ‘grotesque’ imagery is.

Regarding how macabre and grotesque illustration is represented in the editorial field, its quite uncommon due to it being regarded as inappropriate for commercial use and not favoured by the public. There are very few publications that actively use bizarre and disturbing artwork but there are some out there. A really good example of a magazine that includes this type of art is the INSIDE Artzine, this magazine brings many gruesome and quirky artists together to create a completely unique viewing experience for those that manage stumble across it. Artists included, such as Shintaro Kago, would be very unlikely to be chosen to have their art in a common publication and this magazine gives them the opportunity, they otherwise may not have had, to share their creations with those who’ll truly appreciate it.

Shintaro Kago

sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shintaro_Kago

https://artscum.org/

https://shop-colorsmagazine.com/collections/all

https://www.behance.net/tranhu