f Eye Heart Theory: Not to be taken lightly

This visual essay criticizes the notion that illustration education and practice without intellectual engagement, theory or inquiry can exist. Whilst providing a humorous yet sincere rebuttal of this stance, Eye Heart Theory advocates the sublime importance of theory in art, design and visual communication curricula from several perspectives – those of the professional illustration practitioner, Contextual Studies lecturer and personal practice as research experimenter. Drawing on diverse secondary sources including Crow, Heller and Chwast, Lupton, Lynch, Male, Maslow, McLuhan and Fiore, O’Shaughnessy, Poynor and Zeegen and Roberts, Eye Heart Theory analyses the role of the illustration educator in fostering autonomous learning, creative thinking and cognitive skills within undergraduates and future design professionals. Presented as a visually dense information burst and impassioned commentary on the topic incorporating lateral references to popular culture and visualizations of illustrative, theoretical and semiotic devices, Eye Heart Theory is not designed to persuade or interpolate but rather challenge the reader to think about and question the content as a conscious critical observer in much the same manner as a theatrical work featuring verfremdungseffekt – alienation or distancing technique – by playwright Bertolt Brecht.