Anne Telford, Editor-at-Large, Communications Arts Magazine, and I were Co-Chairs of the First Illustration Conference held in Santa Fe in 1999. Today, Anne eloquently reports on the diverse and distinctive sessions from this year's conference in Detroit.
***
Twenty
years after helping to found a national conference for illustrators, I sat in a
hotel ballroom with 700+ others to watch ICON10 unfold with a joyous gospel
choir welcoming us all to Detroit, Michigan. Indeed, that soulful welcome set
the stage for an inclusive conference—many speakers were people of color,
several came from other nations, and there were more female speakers than in
past conferences. This anniversary conference also had co-presidents for the
first time: Julie Murphy and Len Small.
From its
inception in 1999 in Santa Fe, to its present vibrant entity, the road has sometimes
been rocky and occasionally steep, but a succession of talented,
entrepreneurial illustrators have guided ICON into an inspiring vehicle for
community with an increased focus on the importance of art and creativity.
Director Mark Heflin has lovingly guided the conference and is an effective
cheerleader.
ICON10
addressed diversity, while refraining from overt politicization (despite the
overwhelming output of anti-Trump illustration, non of the creators of those
pervasive images, were on the roster). Anne Ishii and Graham Kolbeins, founders
of lifestyle brand Massive Goods brought sex into the conversation showing
images from My Brother’s Husband, a
book by a gay manga artist and introducing queer art and sex into the design
debate. Animation and VR capture were center stage this conference. Chris Sickels
of Red Nose Studio and Richard Borge were two animation/stop motion artists soaking
up the sessions. Ako Castuera makes sculpture and is known for her work as a
storyboard artist and writer on the TV show Adventure
Time. Her presentation was engaging and inspiring. Many of the young
speakers and attendees are exploring animation and VR as additional outlets for
their creativity.
Detroit
with its maker vibe, and creative renaissance was a perfect location. Don
Kilpatrick was a passionate representative of this spirit, showing his
woodblock prints and studio in a well-received presentation.
The
opening keynote was Tyree Guyton and Jenenne Whitfield, founder/president of
The Heidelberg Project, a sprawling mutating art installation in a blighted
neighborhood that has been transformed into an international cultural
destination. Friday’s keynote speaker Emil Ferris, the cartoonist whose 2017
graphic novel My Favorite Thing is
Monsters, brought many in the audience to tears and Gail Andersen closed
out the conference with spicy behind-the-scenes stories of illustrator hijinks,
as well as her path to design stardom at Rolling
Stone, et al.
R.O.
Blechman and his son Nicholas offered a wonderful peek at a warm and robust
relationship between two generations of trenchant social observers. R.O. opened
their session by stating, “Fine art vs. illustration. Come on!” The two
garnered many laughs with their behind-the-scenes observations and delightful
camaraderie.
Attorney
Chuck Cordes advised registering your name as a trademark to protect your
brand. Make noise on your own behalf; confront the infringer. Vandana Taxali, an
intellectual property attorney and artist representative for her brother, the
noted Canadian illustrator, Gary Taxali, offered excellent legal advice:
.have a
solid client contract
.have
your own negotiables, state these first before
getting into the contract
.see
client as a collaborator, not just a client
.ask for
more $
Taxali touted
Blockchain technology as a new method to track usage of copyright images. Check
https://www.entcounsel.com for
more information and useful forms.
Marti
Golan of Reader’s Digest claimed
mailers are dead, and advised employing a good email blast to get in front of
art directors. It’s imperative to have a solid link, if it takes more than a
few seconds to bring up your work, she’s on to the next one. She also advocates
entering contests to help get your art noticed.
One of
the most dynamic components was Kaleidoscope, four five-minute presentations
including Eunsan Huh, who wanted to learn Icelandic so she began deconstructing
words through illustrations creating a visual aid for learning the notoriously
difficult language, resulting in the delightful book Iceland In Icons.
The
overall mood was upbeat, hopeful, and focused on personal stories, new outlets
and new ways of creating images (one speaker worked in VR the entire 20
minutes, creating mesmerizing loops and waves of color). The majority of
speakers were compelling, open, and engaging. Breaks, parties and outside events
were joyous and many friendships were made and old ones cemented with cocktails
in the hotel bar. (There was also a daily Sober ICON 12-step meeting.) I rank
it as one of the best so far. And the closing party at the cavernous and
slightly spooky landmark Michigan Theatre— now used as a parking garage—was
stellar
Robert
Hunt gave an intensive workshop before the conference proper that attendees
were raving about afterwards. In a main stage presentation he urged attendees
to bring diversity to illustration. People need to bring their own experiences
and identity to a project, he said. He also advised having empathy for the
intended audience, and for your clients. In the end, it’s all about love. Love
your work, love your community.”
I could
not think of better advice in this divisive year. The ICON community is
thriving and is more diverse and visionary than ever. I can’t wait for 2020 and
ICON11. I think we should hold it in Puerto Rico!
