Images vs Words - Artists vs Writers

Can an image tell a story? Or is it only once words are added that an image becomes a narrative? Is art a form of language?

As part of an individual project I will be interviewing artists on my blog about whether they feel their art work is telling a story or whether the story is only built once an image is related to words: whether this be through thought, vocal or written language. My plan is to discover what a more powerful storytelling tool is: images or words.

I will also be looking at various pieces of art and writing a creative response in the form of poetry or micro fictions. This is to asses the storytelling aspect of the picture and how the image itself represents a story. I want to discover whether the organicness of the image is telling a story or whether it is the writer who adapts it to a story.




My first artist example is Russell Morgan, an illustrator based in Kettering. I met Russell at the World Horror Convention 2010 in Brighton earlier this year and was particularly taken by his work. I like how thousands of tiny tiny dots scrunched together can create an image. I think Russell's work has a particularly strong storytelling element to it: his pieces seem to feature a character and always portray a strong emotion. For example the picture below: Suppressed Memory, builds a series of stories in my mind.

The piece by Russell which I have used for my creative response is titled: Arupa Lipica, as per the below.

I will post my response to this seperately.

My project will take the form of interview's with artists, posted here, and my personal creative response to images through fiction writing which, I will share an example of here. The first interview will be with John Routeledge: a photographer and sculpture based down is Essex! Watch this space!

Writing from Home

Following an interview with Bad Language about how writers are affected by their environments it got me thinking about my own writing identity and what has effected this. Or indeed, what it is?

Although others felt that their home had a relation or presence in their writing, I'm sad to say I don't think mine does, at all. I think one thing that was so disappointing for me growing up was that there wasn't any inspiration about the place I grew up. Not even out of hatred, I didn't even passionately dislike the place, I was just bored. One of the things that drew me to Manchester in the first place was the fact that it seemed to have an identity; I've never been part of somewhere that has a collective identity.

To me, Essex is flacid; it's got no collective identity or atmosphere, people leave Essex to find the activity. Something that is so refreshing as a writer is that Manchester is full of activity; built on atmosphere. Perhaps it is the conflict element? The fact that a city will always have conflict, whether it be crime, or the buzz of a collection of different people in the same place, but a city will always have conflict. I guess, in a depressing way, that is inspirational. It creates something to write about. Happier, calmer places are harder to write about because there's less of a story to be resolved.

It's interesting moving to a city how the environment has started to creep into my writing. I've tried in the past to force my hometown into my writing, unsuccessfully. I've tried writing in dialect which I have no true connection to. The story had no truth. I've tried writing about memories, places I've been. But my memories have no excitement, at least not enough to drive a piece of fiction. Is fiction lively then life? I guess in my case it is. So it's a change to move to a place where people do feel that connection to their environment and allow it to influence their writing in an organic manner.

Continuing on from the idea that I find it hard to write about a place I have a memory connected to, I find it inspiring to see a place I have no connection to. There are so many more stories in the unknown than in the known and in that I find creative freedom. In Manchester, for me, there can be anyone or anything. It's a fresh story everytime I leave the house. In that sense, perhaps I have no true writing identity. Only that of other, imagined roots.

However, it's only once you leave a place that you can see it's true identity. For me, when living there, Essex had no identity. Since leaving, I can recognise someone from Essex, through their mannerisms, speech, reservedness. I can sometimes even place which part of Essex they're from. I find now, from a distance, I can start to define and find my identity in my roots and how that has affected me. Standing in the middle, it's impossible to see.

Which leaves me with the question: As I writer, can I ever take on another idenity in a new place? If I now start to write stories about Manchester and organicially grow to have a Manchester writers voice, will that make me a Manchester writer? Or will I always be an Essex writer? Perhaps, despite the fact that I can't see it, others will think that my writing carries an essence of Essex. Perhaps, it is impossible for writer's to move away from their root identity. 

Obviously this debate doesn't only apply to rural vs city but it's a simpler definition of how an environment can effect your writing. My environment affects my writing on a subconsious level, until I've stepped away from that place and can start to reminisce. There is more creative freedom in the unknown or past known, than the now. Is that depressing?

As writers, is it impossible to write in the present?

World Horror Convention 2010: Brighton Shock

The world horror convention of 2010 was a manic whirl-wind of horrors; a combination of authors, fans, artists and art work and lots and lots of free tea. It was held in Brighton this year, the first time in many years since it has visited Britain and I was very excited to be a part of it.

Despite the long, long hours of work which I won't mention (8am-12pm most days!) mostly I can say that it is one of the best, biggest literature events I have been too.

We started the weekend by setting up the art show with the same people that were setting up the art show for Easter Con. With a team of less then 6 volunteers and 2 experts it took us around 9 hours to turn a cold, damp room into a magical, wonderful art gallery ready for the artists to set up their work. You can see our progression below.

First we set up the scaffolding, with no idea what we were doing!

Then we added the boards. I never want to see another cable tie!

Then we added the lights...

And then we were ready for the artists to come and fit their fantistic art work! This particular corner was for Les Edwards work!

The art room was full of such wonderful work; it was my favourite place to be over the weekend.
Although it did turn your head a bit funny after a while considering most of the work was based on horror! Artists I spent my time drooling over instead of watching the door included: Les Edwards, Ben Baldwin, Jim Burns, Vincent Chong and many many more.

A particular favourite of mine which, yes, I did end up buying (don't blame me, blame the subliminal message the artist left in the painting) is as below:

By Russell Morgan - Appropriately titled Suppressed Memory:

My favourite part of the weekend was that there were no ego's. Despite there being people such as Neil Gaiman, James Herbert, Kelley Armstrong or Les Edwards about everyone mingled with everyone, there was no divide which was lovely. In fact nearly every writer/artists/book seller etc which we helped over the weekend made the effort to come up to us at the end and say thank you. Even if I was a little star struck shaking hands with Les Edwards! He does, afterall, created hand painted pictures which sell for thousands! My skabby hands are not worthy!

Here's a few clips of things I didn't get to see but some lucky people with my camera did:

James Herbert getting ready to be interviewed:

Neil Gaiman interviewing James Herbert:

The huge crowd at the mass signing. I only managed to get this photo because I stood on the stage, although my bad photography skills show me up again as I didn't manage to get any of the writers in the photo! I can assure you they are behind the crowd, cowaring behind their tables with a pen!

I loved the convention with all it's: hard work, pier parties, free drinks, free books, writers, artists, fans, beautiful hotel rooms, rain, writers crawling to the bar, lifting, carrying, building, taking down, buying, browsing, pointing, fish and chips and most importantly, people!

I wish I could say I'd love to do the next one. However, it's in Texas.