The digital revolution in photography popularised the medium and the recent explosion of blogs has democratised photography even further. While the domain of professional photographers whose personal style is clear (such as Jürgen Teller) will withstand imitation, the domain of photography as a whole is undergoing a sort of amateur invasion. Illustration, on the other hand, is becoming a more exclusive domain. The recent return in the fine arts to drawing as a medium of personal expression is being echoed. Drawing, unlike photography, is transcription which takes a detour through the eye (and hand) of the artist and is thus, deeply personal. The illustrator is not only capturing visual perceptions, but re-creating them. Even Henri Cartier-Bresson, one of France’s most innovative photographers, abandoned his camera for good in 1970 to devote the rest of his career to drawing instead. While illustration will never and should never replace photography, I think there is a current search for something personal, intimate, and authentic that will expand the role of illustration during years to come.
Monsieur David Meyer
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