Manifesto

This short manifesto was written with input from Chris Glynn (UWIC), Desdemona McCannon (MMU) and Harriet Edwards (RCA) in response to a collaborative writing workshop facilitated by Julia Lockheart (Goldsmiths, University of London) at Swansea Metropolitan University in 2011. During the workshop we became very animated with the idea of images being downtrodden and being seen as lacking in 'rigour' as a contribution towards critical discourse. The large sheet of paper we were using to develop ideas was covered in Chris's comic drawings of generals marching, people with loudspeakers and the like (see Visual Essay, P**). The manifesto, although two of it authors are illustrators, does not use images to proclaim it's message, as images are largely mute, but it is full of visual language. We tried to condense ideas into metaphors as much as possible, and kept the statements pared back and minimal. The tone of the manifesto was generated by the spirit of the collaborative discussion we had had. As I wrote the first draft later the same day, it was infused with Chris's wit and humour and Harriet's insistence on the importance of visual thinking. Later Chris and I refined it to its present form.