A Spoonful of Sugar

Recently, I came to a sweeping generalization about the purpose of art (as you do) — In that the vast majority of art works are usually produced to communicate some form of message, opinion or evoke a particular feeling from its audience. Art is communication. Whether the ideas or information conveyed express the creators own opinion is another matter. With this in mind I was inspired to design the poster paste-up below; situated in Hosier Lane, Melbourne (a popular spot for street artists and tourists).

A while back (here), I suggested that artists have the acquired skills, via whatever medium, to provide what I like to call ‘stickiness’ (the ability to create a lasting impression on an audience). Creative industries/individuals, pride themselves on their clarity of thought and problem solving skills. Therefor, they should be adequately positioned to convey complex messages in a simple and memorable form, striving to inspire and intrigue. Think of an advertising agency for example, tasked with having to raise awareness for a charitable cause, and the challenges faced in achieving this through a measly thirty second commercial.

Jess3 are a creative agency based in Washington, DC. They specialize in the art of data visualization, interested in “adding context and meaning to the exponentially growing world of data around us.
We challenge ourselves and our clients to push the limits of what creativity and engagement mean.”

Similarly, David McCandless is a London-based author and designer who runs the blog:
informationisbeautful.net. To quote, he is “interested in how designed information can help us understand the world, cut through bullshit and reveal the hidden connections, patterns and stories underneath”. McCandless made an appearance alongside renowned designer Neville Brody on BBC Newsnight, back in August 2010. The pair discussed the potential power of information graphics and its effect on everyday culture. Bare in mind that both come from very extreme and opposite points of view which makes for a rather entertaining, if not slightly cringe-worthy discussion:

I suppose data visualization can be viewed as a form of story telling in attempt to further engage viewers (even if the likes of Neville Brody just see it a fruitless form of sugarcoating). So why go to all the bother of forming a narrative for any given message or statistic — why not get straight to the point and dish out the cold hard facts or harsh truths? Roman Stoic philosopher Senca, believed that arguments are like eels: however logical, they may slip from the minds weak grasp unless fixed there by imagery and style.

In this interview with Philosophy Bites (jump to 6min 52sec), Alain De Botton see’s the human mind as something that needs to be seduced and coaxed before one can fully absorb any desired key message or moral. De Botton refers to this as the art of the rhetoric (effective and persuasive speaking or writing achieved through the use of figures of speech and other compositional techniques). Fully aware that storytelling has the ability to effect our inner conscience or at least alter the way we think about certain situations, De Botton further proclaims entertainment to be a ‘very serious business’.

And isn’t that the primary step in our fight against climate change, altering human behavior and the way we think about the world? Ultimately then, it is the creative individuals who have the potential to endorse real, positive change through their act of ‘plotting’ or ‘visualizing metaphors’ (see example below). An ability to empower citizens, rather than to merely entertain consumers . . .

(Image via ilovemetaphors.com)