Intersecting voices of wellness vs. rawness in illustration | Intellect Skip to content
1981
  1. Home
  2. A-Z Publications
  3. Journal of Illustration
  4. Volume 7, Issue 1
  5. Article
Volume 7, Issue 1-2
  • ISSN: 2052-0204
  • E-ISSN:

Abstract

This article reflects on the use of illustration as a tool in mental health, and attempts to answer the question, can depicting wellness or rawness of mental health experiences in illustration contribute towards recovery? The two authors of this article speak from their experiences from several roles: as illustrators; a disability adviser and mental health practitioner; as teachers and women of colour. They explore their own creative practices through their intersectionality. The first author presents wellness in illustration, the origins of both black illustrators communicating through their work alongside how black people are represented in illustration. This uncovers societal cultural preference, authenticity and overarchingly, the question of who decides our narratives. In exploring rawness, the role of illustrator, and how it connects to others through honest human experiences, the second author questions where this is impacted. The reflection throughout this article encourages true consideration of intersectionality in the creation, engagement and taught aspects of illustration, considering how this communicative instrument can continue to be used to promote wellness. This article proves that illustration can provide a space for recovery in a mental health context, ultimately demonstrating how illustration is used to portray experiences where words cannot, providing a cathartic process for practitioners, and is used as a tool to promote powerful inclusivity.

© 2020 Intellect Ltd
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/jill_00030_1
2020-08-01
2024-04-30
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Adichie, C. N.. and TED ( 2009;), ‘ The danger of a single story. ’, TED Talk, July, https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?language=en. Accessed 12 March 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  2. Ahsan, H.. ( 2017), Shy Radicals: The Antisystemic Politics of the Militant Introvert, London:: Book Works;.
     [Google Scholar]
  3. Akala ( 2018), Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire, London:: Hachette;.
     [Google Scholar]
  4. Anthym, M., and Tuitt, F.. ( 2019;), ‘ When the levees break: The cost of vicarious trauma, microaggressions and emotional labor for black administrators and faculty engaging in race work at traditionally white institutions. ’, International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 32:9, pp. 1072–93, https://doi.org/10.1080/09518398.2019.1645907. Accessed 29 June 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  5. Ashley, W.. ( 2017;), ‘ Black eyes matter: Nuances of intersectionality and their impact on inclusion and support. ’, Sociology and Criminology, 5:1, pp. 1–5, https://doi.org/10.15640/jssw.v5n1a11. Accessed 29 June 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  6. Aston, P.. ( 2014;), ‘ Dyslexia counselling – Addressing the emotional repercussions. ’, Counselling Directory , 31 July, https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/memberarticles/dyslexia-counselling-addressing-the-emotional-repercussions-12385. Accessed 12 March 2020.
  7. Bailey, I.. ( 2017;), ‘ The (in)visibility of four black women artists: Establishing a support network, defining obstacles, and locating self through art. ’, Visual Culture & Gender, 12, September, pp. 58–67.
     [Google Scholar]
  8. Banerjee, S.. ( 2004), Corridor, New Delhi and New York:: Penguin Books;.
     [Google Scholar]
  9. Banks, P.A.. ( 2019;), ‘ Black artists and elite taste culture. ’, American Sociological Association, 18:2, pp. 62–65, https://doi.org/10.1177/1536504219854722. Accessed 29 June 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  10. Bartlett, D.,, Moody, S., and Kindersley, K.. ( 2010), Dyslexia in the Workplace: An Introductory Guide, Chichester:: Wiley-Blackwell;.
     [Google Scholar]
  11. Beresford, P.,, Nettle, M., and Perring, R.. ( 2010;), ‘ Towards a social model of madness and distress? Exploring what service users say. ’, Joseph Rowntree Foundation , November, https://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/default/files/jrf/migrated/files/mental-health-service-models-full.pdf. Accessed 29 June 2020.
  12. Berger, J.. ( 2008), Ways of Seeing, New York:: British Broadcasting Corporation and Penguin Books;.
     [Google Scholar]
  13. Best, S.. ( 2006;), ‘ Minimalism, subjectivity, and aesthetics: Rethinking the anti-aesthetic tradition in late-modern art. ’, Journal of Visual Art Practice, 5:3, pp. 127–42, https://doi.org/10.1386/jvap.5.3.127_1. Accessed 29 June 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  14. Blurton, T. R.. ( 2006), Bengali Myths, London:: British Museum Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  15. Bogart, B.,, Baker, C. C., and Sicchio, K.. ( 2019;), ‘ Imagination, art and reality. ’, in C. C. Baker, and K. Sicchio. (eds), Intersecting Art and Technology in Practice: Techne/Technique/Technology, New York:: Routledge;, pp. 73–85.
     [Google Scholar]
  16. Brazell, D., and Davies, J.. ( 2017), Becoming a Successful Illustrator, New York:: Bloomsbury Visual Arts;.
     [Google Scholar]
  17. Crenshaw, K.. ( 1989;), ‘ Demarginalizing the intersection of race and aex: A Black feminist critique of antidiscrimination doctrine, feminist theory and antiracist politics. ’, University of Chicago Legal Forum, article 8 , http://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/uclf/vol1989/iss1/8. Accessed 29 June 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  18. Crenshaw, K.. ( 1990;), ‘ Mapping the margins: Intersectionality, identity politics, and violence against women of color. ’, Stanford Law Review, 43:6, pp. 1241–99.
     [Google Scholar]
  19. Crenshaw, K.. ( 2020), On Intersectionality: Essential Writings, New York:: New Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  20. Dem, G., and Joyce, J.V.. ( 2018;), ‘ Jacob V. Joyce on gender neutrality – Cartoon. ’, The Guardian, 11 August, https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/ng-interactive/2018/aug/11/jacob-v-joyce-on-gender-neutrality-cartoon. Accessed 12 March 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  21. DiAngelo, R. J.. ( 2019), White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, Boston, MA:: Beacon Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  22. Dixon, C. A.. ( 2020;), ‘ Four women, for women: Caribbean diaspora artists reimag(in)ing the fine art canon. ’, African and Black Diaspora: An International Journal, 13:3, pp. 161–76, https://doi.org/10.1080/17528631.2019.1701810. Accessed 29 June 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  23. DuBois, W. E. B.. ( 1926;), ‘ The Negroes in art – How shall he be portrayed. A symposium. ’, The Crisis, 31:5, p. 165.
     [Google Scholar]
  24. Eddo-Lodge, R.. ( 2018), Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race, London:: Bloomsbury;.
     [Google Scholar]
  25. Fenton, J. A.. ( 2016;), ‘ Follow the money: Economics and African art. ’, Critical Interventions, 10:2, pp. 129–34, https://doi.org/10.1080/19301944.2016.1205343. Accessed 15 July 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  26. Ferguson, C. U.. ( 2012;), ‘ Beyond self-limiting and addictive cultural scripts: The transformative power of preference in the now. ’, ahp PERSPECTIVE, October/November, pp. 6–8, https://www.academia.edu/7522089/Beyond_Self-Limiting_and_Addictive_Cultural_Scripts_The_Power_of_Preference_in_the_Now. Accessed 29 June 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  27. Gabriel, D., and Tate, S. A.. (eds), ( 2018), Inside the Ivory Tower: Narratives of Women of Colour Surviving and Thriving in British Academia, London:: Trentham Books;.
     [Google Scholar]
  28. Harrington, J. N.. ( 2014;), ‘ Ode to black botanical illustrators. ’, Callaloo, 37:4, p. 866, https://doi.org/10.1353/cal.2014.0152. Accessed 15 July 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  29. Harris, S.. ( 2015;), ‘ Searching for a black aesthetic in American graphic design. ’, in S. Heller. (ed.), The Education of a Graphic Designer, New York:: Simon and Schuster;, pp. 125–29.
     [Google Scholar]
  30. hooks, b.. ( 1994), Outlaw Culture: Resisting Representations, New York:: Routledge;.
     [Google Scholar]
  31. Ibini, M., and Bickerton, J.-A.. ( 2020;), ‘ Disability and … the stories we tell. ’, Disability Arts Online and Graeae, SoundCloud , https://soundcloud.com/user-831628451-710741442/disability-and-the-stories-we-tell. Accessed 12 March 2020.
  32. ‘idealism’ ( n.d.), Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge:: Cambridge University Press;, https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/idealism. Accessed 15 July 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  33. Jones, K.,, Koh, E.,, Veis, N.,, White, A.,, Hurworth, W. R.,, Bell, J.,, Shrimpton, B., and Fitzpatrick, A.. ( 2010), Framing Marginalised Art, Manchester:: UoM Custom Book Centre;.
     [Google Scholar]
  34. Jussin, L., and Fleming, C.. ( 1996;), ‘ Self-fulfilling prophecies and the maintenance of social stereotypes: The role of dyadic interactions and social forces. ’, in C. N. Macrae,, C. Stangor, and M. Hewstone. (eds), Stereotypes and Stereotyping, New York:: Guilford Press;, p. 161.
     [Google Scholar]
  35. Kulaszewicz, K. E.. ( 2015;), ‘ Racism and the media: A textual analysis. ’, SOPHIA , May, https://sophia.stkate.edu/msw_papers/477. Accessed 29 June 2020.
  36. Lorde, A.. ( 2016), Sister Outsider, Berkeley, CA:: Crossing Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  37. Madden, M.. ( 2005), 99 Ways to Tell a Story: Exercises in Style, New York:: Chamberlain Bros;.
     [Google Scholar]
  38. McCall, L.. ( 2008;), ‘ The complexity of intersectionality. ’, in E. Grabham,, D. Cooper,, J. Krishnadas, and D. Herman. (eds), Intersectionality and Beyond: Law, Power and the Politics of Location, New York:: Routledge-Cavendish;, pp. 65–92, https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203890882. Accessed 15 July 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  39. Mirza, H., and Meetoo, V.. ( 2012), Respecting Difference: Race, Faith and Culture for Teacher Educators, London:: Institute of Education, University of London;.
     [Google Scholar]
  40. Moland, L. L.. ( 2019), Hegel’s Aesthetics: The Art of Idealism, New York:: Oxford University Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  41. Nayeri, F.. ( 2017;), ‘ Kehinde Wiley on painting the powerless. And a president. ’, The New York Times, 27 November, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/27/arts/design/kehinde-wiley-obama-portrait-london-exhibition.html. Accessed 29 June 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  42. Neal-Barnett, A.. ( 2018;), ‘ To be female, anxious and black. ’, Anxiety and Depression Association of America , 23 April, https://adaa.org/learn-from-us/from-the-experts/blog-posts/consumer/be-female-anxious-and-black. Accessed 29 June 2020.
  43. O’Brien, B.. ( 2019;), ‘ Survey results. ’, The Illustrators’ Survey , https://www.theillustratorssurvey.org/survey-results. Accessed 12 March 2020.
  44. Perrirman, B., and Tempest, K.. ( 2019), Doorways: Women, Homelessness, Trauma and Tesistance: Photographs, Essays, Interviews, London:: House Sparrow Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  45. Phillips-Pendleton, R.. ( 2019;), ‘ Race, perception, and responsibility in illustration. ’, in A. Male. (ed.), A Companion to Illustration: Art and Theory, Hoboken, NJ:: Wiley-Blackwell;.
     [Google Scholar]
  46. ‘rawness’ ( n.d.), Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge:: Cambridge University Press;, https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/rawness. Accessed 12 March 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  47. Rosenberg, I. Von. ( 2018;), ‘ The Turner Prize 2017: A turning point in the public recognition of black British women artists?. ’ Hard Times, 102:2, pp. 99–113.
     [Google Scholar]
  48. Shepherd, G.,, Boardman, J., and Slade, M.. ( 2008), Making Recovery a Reality, London:: Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health Policy;, https://www.meridenfamilyprogramme.com/download/recovery/tools-for-recovery/Making_recovery_a_reality_policy_paper.pdf. Accessed 29 June 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  49. Slavin, M. O.. ( 1996;), ‘ Is one self enough? Multiplicity in self-organization and the capacity to negotiate relational conflict. ’, Contemporary Psychoanalysis, 32:4, pp. 615–25, https://doi.org/10.1080/00107530.1996.10746339. Accessed 29 June 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  50. Vogel, M. S.. ( 1986), African Aesthetics, New York:: Center for African Art;.
     [Google Scholar]
  51. Walker-Barnes, C.. ( 2014), Too Heavy a Yoke: Black Women and the Burden of Strength, Eugene, OR:: Cascade Books;.
     [Google Scholar]
  52. Weatherford, A.. ( 2015;), ‘ The start-up that’s driving black women to yoga. ’, The Cut, 16 July, https://www.thecut.com/2015/07/start-up-thats-driving-black-women-to-yoga.html. Accessed 29 June 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  53. Yellowzine ( 2018;), ‘ Do You Know Your Middle? – Joy Miessi solo exhibition. ’, Yellowzine , 6 July, https://www.yellwzine.com/post/joy-miessi-solo-exhibition. Accessed 29 June 2020.
  54. Zeegen, L.. ( 2005), The Fundamentals of Illustration, London:: AVA Publishing;.
     [Google Scholar]
  55. Green, Amberlee, and Sarkar, Jhinuk. ( 2020;), ‘ Intersecting voices of wellness vs. rawness in illustration. ’, Journal of Illustration, 7:1&2, pp. 179–204, doi: https://doi.org/10.1386/jill_00030_1
     [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1386/jill_00030_1
Loading
Intersecting voices of wellness vs. rawness in illustration
Journal of Illustration 7, 179 (2020); https://doi.org/10.1386/jill_00030_1
/content/journals/10.1386/jill_00030_1
/content/journals/10.1386/jill_00030_1
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Article
Keyword(s): disability; intersectionality; mental health; microaggression; race; rawness; wellness; women of colour

Most Cited Most Cited RSS feed

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error