The British Humanist Association's 'Don't Label Me' campaign starts today. I have produced the artwork for a few billboards scattered around the country, including this one in central London (photo stolen from the Facebook group).
The eagle eyed among you may have spotted a passing resemblance to a certain bus advert. That's because I'm a mindless automaton and it's all I can do as I dribble into my lap and wildly wave my arms around. Anyhow, there's more information on the BHA's website if you're interested.
This year has seen my artwork adorn buses around the world, tube trains in London, T-shirts, car stickers, badges, giant animated screens, a book cover and now some 36m2 billboards - and yet the combined excitement that these events have generated within me is roughly equal to having a nice cup of tea. Which proves, to me at least, that if something has little creative value then it will always be unfulfilling, no matter how many people see it.
A reassuring motivator.
9 comments:
Hi Graham
I know what it's like to have high standards and never feel satisfied, so can empathise.
But try to look at it from another angle. Your artwork has been a part of highly influential campaign that has really opened up the believer/atheist debate. It has also given a lot of people exposure to views that might otherwise have remained hidden to them. It has resulted in much higher visibility of the 'atheist view' to the rest of the country... seriously!
I live in NZ and it has even made it all the way out here. Congratulations!
And I like the artwork too!
cheers
Thank you Andrew. I fully support the campaigns and appreciate their value, I just meant that as a creative person it doesn't give me much satisfaction to realise other people's ideas. I didn't have a great deal of input in the content of the adverts, I was mainly just following directions. It's hackwork, really.
You made it to Jesus and Mo today as well!
http://www.jesusandmo.net/2009/11/19/label/
As my mum would have said, you can only do your best, and if you're realising other people's ideas, surely you can still gain some satisfaction by feeling that you did it as well as you could and it shows.
Well done Graham. It's very effective to retain a similar design - as soon as you see the billboard it brings back memories of the bus campaign if you've seen that, which I feel is a good thing.
Never underestimate the value of a good cuppa.
Margaret & Simon - thanks. Perhaps I'm letting my general creative frustration cloud the issue.
If you were going to mount a campaign on an issue of your choice, what would the billboard advert be? Why don't you make that ad and post it here.
Maybe it's hackwork, but take it from somebody with the design ability of a dead budgie - laying things out in an aesthetically pleasing way is still a great skill and worthy of huge respect. You've built a style that's iconic and instantly recognisable, and I know how much hard work you've put in. Maybe it isn't the most creative work - though I suspect you're not giving yourself enough credit there - but it's awesome nonetheless. Kudos to you.
Matt - nice idea. Maybe some other time.
Andrew W - Thank you, I appreciate that. I also appreciate your dead budgie analogy.
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