This essay will discuss two illustrators; Quentin Blake and
Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss). This essay will explore their inspirations
and influences, while trying to compare and contrast the artists work.
Quentin Blake is a famous children’s book illustrator, well
known for illustrating Roald Dahl’s books, and his distinctive cartoony style.
Quentin Blake has been drawing since he was young, “Probably
at about the age of 5. I remember a visitor during the war saying "He
draws a lot, but he won't speak!”. [2] These early childhood memories have
obviously influenced Blake in a major way. All of his illustrations could
easily be described as having a child like demeanour to them. His style is very
free, and fast, much like a child’s drawing, yet they retain the years of
experience and certain sophistication.
Blake is also very fond of English; he sites his English
teacher JH Walsh as inspiration. [2] Perhaps this is the reason Blake strayed
from a potential career in advertising [2] and became an illustrator of
books. He even taught English in the
army as a part of his national service from 1951 to 1953 noting later that
"I joined the educational corps and taught enlisted boys at
Aldershot": "I tried to teach them English, which in most cases meant
punctuation and spelling. In some ways it was like Dotheboys Hall, and they
used to run away. Towards the end of my two years, I illustrated what I suppose
was my first book, a pamphlet called English on Parade." On leaving the
army in 1953 Blake read English at Downing College. [3] Blake’s time in the
army introduced him to the world of teaching, and creating his first project.
This was a turning point for Blake, after the army he went on to work on his
own material and work alongside more book authors. [1][3]
Seuss also worked for the army. [11] Seuss was too old to be
drafted so he volunteered for service, and joined the Army in 1943 as
Commander, Capt. Theodor Geisel. [17] He created cartoons, illustrations and
posters for the U.S. Treasury and other departments. He worked with famous
cartoonists and filmmakers of the day, including Jack Turner, Chuck Jones and
Frank Capra. [17] All of which could have had a possible influence on him.
Especially Chuck Jones, a well-established animator and writer, [19] the two
would continue to work closely together. Jones would later collaborate with
Seuss on a number of adaptations of Seuss' books to animated form, most
importantly ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas!’ in 1966 [19] Jones’ influence on
Seuss can be seen in Seuss’s animated style of drawing. Like Blake, everything
Seuss does have a powerful sense of movement; the mind almost seems to animate
the illustrations.
This can be easily seen from the image above taken from ‘Cat
in the Hat’. The image has a lot of movement, and a very animated style. If you
look at the flowing black lines at the bottom of the image, and the water
splashing from the fish bowl, these details help emphasize movement; giving the
picture a very animated feel.
One of the films he created for the Army, "Hitler
Lives," won an Academy Award. [18] As a Soldier in the Army, he was
awarded the Legion of Merit for his contributions to the war efforts as a
cartoonist, scriptwriter and filmmaker [18]
Both before and after the war Seuss had strong political
views. [20] Perhaps the most obvious influence politics has had on Seuss’ work
is using his book ‘Horton Hears a Who!’ as an allegory for the Hiroshima
bombing and the American post-war occupation of Japan, as well as dedicating
the book to a Japanese friend. [20] Although the book would initially be seen
as nothing more than a light-hearted book for children Seuss clearly had a very
adult message in mind.
Seuss’ early political cartoons show a passionate opposition
to fascism, and he urged action against it both before and after World War II.
[20]
Because when World War II happened Blake was still young, it
did not have such a profound impact on his work; although he was evacuated to
the countryside, where he remembers doing most of his childhood drawings. [2] This
may have had a number of effects on Blake, being separated from his family and
home and being sent away to the countryside would be a stressful situation, and
it seems Blake dealt with this by drawing and channelling his ideas in to his
art. This may have been the start of his love of art and illustration.
After his time in the army Blake went on to study English
and do further studies in teaching. [2] His passion for English and art
obviously lead him down the path of book illustration. Quentin illustrates both
his own work and others, most notably Roald Dahl. Quentin has written and
illustrated 35 of his own books. [6]
Blake was working at Jonathon Cape Publishing, Jonathon Cape
were working with Dahl trying to convince him to write a picture book (1970's - The Enormous Crocodile). [2] When Dahl agreed,
the publisher recommended Blake as the illustrator. On working with Dahl, Blake
said “To begin with, I was a bit nervous. He was quite a powerful figure. But
we got on very well. He liked winding me up - only in the most harmless way.”
“What was so nice about Roald was that he actually wanted the pictures - he
didn't like it if there weren't enough. Not all authors are like that. We
worked together for 13 years from 1977, until he died.”[2] Dahl obviously has
had a major influence on Blake, Dahl’s creative and imaginative writing allowed
Blake to explore his own practice. Their work seemed to complement each other
perfectly.
Blake and Seuss also collaborated on ‘Great Day for Up’ in
1974. [22] This was one of the rare occasions that Seuss did not illustrate his
own work. Seuss obviously thought that Blake was a talented illustrator and he
could convey his book in a way he could not.
In an interview, Quentin sites nineteenth-Century French
Realist; Honoré Daumier [8] as a major influence, and is a collector of his
work. [5] Daumier’s satirical caricatures of French politicians have had a
clear influence on Blake and his exaggerated style.
The same exaggerated nose exists in both of these pictures.
The oversized heads, and elongated necks are present is Daumier’s work, and has
clearly shaped Blake’s style. However the same can be said of Seuss’s work,
Seuss also did a lot of political cartoons [20], so it’s very possible Seuss
too was influenced by Daumier.
Blake also states that British artist and satirical
cartoonist Ronald Searle from Punch magazine, was a role model to him. [5] If
you look at Searle’s work it’s easy to see the influence it has on Blake, the same
scratchy, inky, zany style. [7]
He also says Hungarian cartoonist André François, influenced
him. Saying he liked the way Andre’s drawing were portrayed with such freedom,
yet remained fundamentally strong. [5]
It’s clear that Quentin Blake has taken inspiration from
both early 20th century French cartoonist, and the slightly more
modern satirical cartoons of the Punch magazine artist Ronald Searle.
In this piece you can see elements of Fauvism,
impressionism, Maximilism. Fauvism because of the use of bright vivid colours;
this also relates to Maximilism, the extra detail such as the bottles and
labels, is very typical of Maximilism.[14] This is interesting because the same
can be said of Dr. Seuss’s work. Daryush Shokof describes Maximilism in his
“Maximalist Manifesto” (1991) as being: Figurative, Politically aware, with
socially critical points of view, mostly include ironic and humorous
perspectives in concept or in form, not made to simply oppose minimalist works
of art. [14] Assistant art history professor Gao Minglu connects Maximalism in
Chinese visual art to the literary definition by describing the emphasis on,
“the spiritual experience of the artist in the process of creation.” [14]
Seuss’s work is probably best described as an early form of
Maximalism. This is evident in both the visuals of his work, but also in his
style of working. Following the maximalist tradition, his work is very bright,
sensual, visually rich, and extremely detailed. He was also very conscientious,
and his pieces are all very formalistic and work-extensive; which is another
idea associated with Maximalism.[13][14] All of his pieces also display a
childish and playful nature, with a touch of femininity and a sense of ironic
politeness.[13] This observation is particularly interesting because of the
evident Oriental influence on Seuss's art, and the Maximalist movement is often
associated with Eastern Asian culture, with examples of Maximalism in the work of artists Cao
Kai, Ding Yi, and Gu Dexin. [14]
Blake’s is often able to convey a message with the minimum
of pen strokes; he can convey character, mood and, perhaps most strikingly of
all, movement. [10] To achieve this he tends to work a very fast way, saying “I tend to do everything fast. Why? If
you're playing tennis and you throw a ball in the air very slowly and sweep
your racquet slowly, you're not going to produce a good serve." [4] This
style could perhaps be influenced by impressionist work. Impressionism tries to
convey gesture atmosphere and a sense of movement, [9] without too much thought
or planning which seems to describe Quentin’s work perfectly.
In opposition to
this, Seuss’s work seems to draw its movement and power, from more intricately
detailed images with intricate cross hatching and more solid line work. In the
image below this is especially evident.
Seuss has used
line to create depth, and form. If you look at the bottom half of the Grinch’s
torso you can see how he has used curved lines to create a sense of both a
cylindrical object, but also create a spiky fury texture.
Perhaps Seuss has
been influenced by a form of futurism, using line and shape to create movement
and form. In the example of futurism
below (Giacomo Balla, Abstract Speed + Sound, 1913–1914), the same effect has
been achieved albeit in a much more abstract fashion.
Both Seuss and
Blake tend to use quite limited color palettes. Both artists tend to use only
bright colors, a lot of the primary colors can be seen in their work.
Especially in Seuss’s work where he utilizes lots of reds and blues in his work.
This is yet another link to futurism, look again at the picture above and you
will notice a similar color palette, and strengthening the idea that futurism
has a possible influence over Seuss.
This reflects the
influence of Asian art over Seuss, the image below contains a very similar color
scheme to that of the images that can be found in the ‘Cat in the Hat’. The detailing
of the trees and clouds is also further evidence of the influence Asian art has
had over Seuss.
Influence for Seuss’s work can be traced back to his childhood.
His mother, Henrietta Seuss Geisel, often told her children to sleep by
‘chanting’ rhymes she remembered from her childhood. [12] This was probably the
beginnings with Seuss’s interest with words and writing. As a child his father,
a zoo superintendent often let Seuss have spare animal parts like antlers,
horns and furs after they died. [16] This influence can be seen in the strange
animals that Seuss is so famous for creating.
You could apply
expressionism as an influence to Seuss’s work; critics of this argument say
that his way of working and style were not in-line with those of expressionism.
Expressionism is usually defined as over the top or exaggeration of shapes,
forms, and colours to heighten emotional reaction.[15] While Dr. Seuss's art is
clearly very exaggerated and emotional, many critics do not believe it was
created with the deliberate attempt at emotional "shock value" they
see as being characteristic of expressionism. [13][15]
Seuss has also been quoted saying that the pineapple, which
was reportedly his favourite fruit; was a major influence. Once you know this
fact, it becomes possible to see pineapples in everything Seuss did. Many of
his objects are round and spiky. [13]
If you look at the image above taken from ‘The Lorax’, you
can see Seuss’s colourful, spikey style at work. The use of block, vivid
colours, helps him address his core audience and has become a hallmark of his
style. His childhood influences can be seen in this image, the strange creatures
and birds, inspired by his time at the zoo with his father. Even his favourite
fruit, the pineapple can be seen; look at the spiky texture of the trees, and
the colour and texture of the trunks; Also the shapes of the birds torsos.
Above is Blake’s illustration of the ‘BFG’, in this we can
see some of Blake’s influence in how he uses colour. Blake’s preferred medium
is water colour [21] One of Blake’s Major influences Ronald Searle, also used
water colour in a very similar fashion, so this is perhaps why Blake colours
his work the way he does.
Both artists have both has numerous influences. Childhood
was undoubtedly had a massive impact on both illustrators, with Seuss’ mother
and father, and Blake’s evacuation during the war. The war specifically had a
big impression on Seuss, especially in the way he views politics in his work. Both
are heavily inspired by previous artists and whether it was done consciously or
not elements of previous artists’ styles can be seen in both illustrators work. Both artists possess certain similarities,
particularly there use of an exaggerated style, and bright vivid colours.
Bibliography
1.
Author unknown. (N/A) Quentin Blake. Available at: http://www.quentinblake.com/site-map/biography
(Accessed: 27th March 2013)
2.
Author unknown. (N/A) Quentin Blake. Available at: http://www.quentinblake.com/site-map/interview
(Accessed: 27th March 2013)
3.
British Cartoon Archive. (N/A) Quentin Blake Biography. Available at: http://www.cartoons.ac.uk/artists/quentinblake/biography
(Accessed: 1st April 2013)
4.
Jeffries, S. (2007) A Free Hand. The Guardian. Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2007/sep/28/art.booksforchildrenandteenagers
(Accessed: 28th March 2013)
6.
Author unknown. (N/A) Quentin Blake. Available at: http://www.quentinblake.com/all-books/all-books
(Accessed: 17th April 2013)
7.
The Telegraph. (2012) Ronald Searle. The Telegraph. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/art-obituaries/8989894/Ronald-Searle.html
(Accessed: 7th April 2013)
8.
Adhemar, J. (N/A) Background and Early Life. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Available at: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/152400/Honore-Daumier
(Accessed: 7th April 2013)
9.
Author Unknown. (N/A) Post- Impressionism. Oxford Dictionaries. Available at: http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/post-Impressionism
(Accessed: 27th March 2013)
10.
Preston, J. (2012) Quentin Blake: I Never Wanted Children. But I do Invent them. The
Telegraph. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/9646192/Quentin-Blake-I-never-wanted-children.-But-I-do-invent-them..html
(Accessed: 19th April 2013)
12.
Author Unknown. (N/A). Best Books for Kids. Available at: http://www.best-books-for-kids.com/dr-seuss-biography.html
(Accessed: 19th April 2013)
13. T. Geisel, A. Godoff. (1995) The Secret Art of Dr Seuss. Random House
USA
14.
Author Unknown. (N/A) Art Movements of 1900’s: Maximalism. Available at: http://webartacademy.com/art-movements-maximalism
(Accessed: 20th April 2013)
15.
Britannica. (N/A) Expressionism. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Available at: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/198740/Expressionism
(Accessed: 12th April 2013)
16.
Author Unknown. (2011) Beyond the Cat in the Hat. Alexandria Times. Available at: http://alextimes.com/2011/12/beyond-the-cat-in-the-hat-the-secret-art-of-dr-seuss-on-display-at-pc-art-gallery/
(Accessed: 21st April 2013)
17.
Schlumbohm,
B. (2011) Dr. Seuss the Cat in the Army
Hat. Available at: http://www.army.mil/article/53078/
(Accessed: 21st April 2013)
18.
IMDb. (N/A) Biography
for Dr. Seuss. Available at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0317450/bio
(Accessed: 11th April 2013)
19.
IMDb. (N/A) Chuck
Jones. Available at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005062/
(Accessed: 11th April 2013)
20.
Wood, H. (2004) The Political Dr. Seuss. Available at:http://web.archive.org/web/20070916044241/http://www.mfh.org/lamotheinterview/
[20] (Accessed: 21st April 2013)
21.
Author unknown. (N/A) Quentin in Action. Available at: http://www.quentinblake.com/about-drawing/quentin-in-action
[21] (Accessed: 17th April 2013)
22.
Author Unknown. (N/A) Great Day for Up. Harper Collins. Available at: http://www.harpercollins.co.uk/Titles/47905
[22] (Accessed: 17th April 2013)
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