"Trying to reflect and comprehend the world through what we see and not through what one has to say with words, engages the mind in a more powerful way." - Silka P
As a composite description, visual language does not have a specific definition. I had my own understanding of the term but wanted to read a little more into it. We are visual creatures, and our written languages are inherently pictographic. Our history is steeped in visual metaphor and symbolism.
Our individual physiologies and psychologies mean that we interpret stimuli in unique ways. It then means we then store that information in unique patterns; so by definition, we will then draw on that uniquely-processed information in our own way. What I find amazing is that this means that everything we produce is a sum of our life experience.
Visual language is a signature. We take life in through a filter and then output through that same filter. While words are an amazingly efficient pictographic tool to communicate information, they are much less useful as a way to empathetically communicate interpretation. When I read someone else's words they are still passed through my unique filter, to conjure up imagery in my head which is still unique to me.
Over the past few years of learning about my own neurodiversity, it's really made me think about how one interprets the world. My brain doesn't interpret the world in the same way as others - to a large degree of difference. That doesn't make it bad, diseased or broken. I started this exercise in my usual way of approaching my research; but sat here writing this, I am realising that visual language is the 'secret sauce' of this whole module.
Visual language is how we visually communicate our interpretation of the world. It's an expression of both our life experience and our response to the present. In communicating in this more nuanced, complex way, we have a better chance to help others understand how we see the world than through just words alone.
Lisk Feng - Keywords
I was torn between selecting Lisk Feng and Peter Kuper from the list of provided artists. Kuper initially seemed a no-brainer due to his focus on political commentary and sequential illustration, two topics that I enjoy and am drawn to.
However I kept on being attracted to aspects of Feng's work, so I thought I would go against the obvious choice. In reviewing multiple sources of her work, I noted down keywords that I felt described different aspects of her work.
Metaphors
Narrative
Whimsical
Saturated
Contrast
Texture
Tooth & Grit
Warm
Animations
Conceptual
Evolving
Stylised figures
Sequential
Lyrical
Joy
When looking at how she makes her marks, it is interesting to see how she uses sketchbooks compared to her finished works. In her sketchbooks, she sits right in the middle of a blend between colour (watercolour, gouache, acrylic pens) and line (paint and ink). Her sketchbooks are full of pictures depicting people, and this shows in how her final works are made.
The final works themselves are almost always done digitally, but there is a real quality of acrylics and gouache to them. I particularly enjoy the way she uses layering techniques with a limited palette to great effect. My favourites were illustrations that had the feeling that they were made with risograph prints. That printed feeling can be felt through a lot of her wore, where she uses texture to give a more handmade feel.
A special mention for Peter Kuper
There was one aspect of Kuper's work that I had to include in my research. I was really taken by his sketchbooks, particularly the autobiographical travel journals. There was so much about how they are captures and composited that I enjoyed. I loved his pages on Jordan, and it made me really think about my own experiences in the Middle East, and how I could explore that part of my history.
A Final Statement
Lisk Feng is a woman of two cultures. She has an affinity with people and stories, and her work conveys optimistic warmth. There is a certain naivety in her work, but a sense that this is a choice. To choose the best. To wonder. To find joy in things.
Her roots are in traditional techniques, but her work is usually digital. This is much in part to be able to adapt to the need for quick turnaround times from her editorial clients. She finds the sketch part of creation the hardest, but you wouldn't be able to tell that from her sketchbooks. She fills her books with whimsical explorations and observations of people.
Her work is layered and textural. It is intentionally simple and uncluttered to better tell its narratives. She has an innate ability to tell stories. This particularly shines through in her sequential and children's illustration work. It is here where her sense of empathy is clear. In dreaming of a more optimistic world, she helps the viewer to share a kinder perspective of the world.
References
Chiu, C., 2017. Lisk Feng — A Whimsical Fantasy World. [online] Medium.com. Available at: https://medium.com/themigratory/lisk-feng-a-whimsical-fantasy-world-8ba8253b7c79.
Feng, L., 2020. Behance - Lisk Feng. [online] Behance.net. Available at: https://www.behance.net/liskfeng/projects.
Feng, L., 2020. Lisk Feng. [online] Lisk Feng. Available at: http://liskfeng.com/.
Feng, L., 2020. Lisk Feng. [online] Liskfeng.tumblr.com. Available at: https://liskfeng.tumblr.com/.
Feng, L., 2020. Lisk Feng (@Liskfeng) Profile On Instagram • 5,001 Posts. [online] Instagram.com. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/liskfeng/?hl=en.
Fulleylove, R., 2017. Lisk Feng Adopts A More Conceptual And Experimental Approach For Her Latest Works. [online] Itsnicethat.com. Available at: https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/lisk-feng-illustration-131117.
Kuper, P., n.d. Sketchbook — Peter Kuper | Peter Kuper Art. [online] Peter Kuper | Peter Kuper Art. Available at: https://www.peterkuper.com/sketchbook.
Pantelić, K., 2016. How Do We Define Visual Language ?. [online] Widewalls. Available at: https://www.widewalls.ch/visual-language/.
Pritchard, O., 2017. Illustrator Lisk Feng’s “Whimsical, Loose And Playful” Work. [online] Itsnicethat.com. Available at: https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/lisk-feng-ilustration-130317.
Roalf, P., 2017. AI-AP | DART » Lisk Feng's Sketchbooks. [online] Ai-ap.com. Available at: https://www.ai-ap.com/publications/article/22033/lisk-fengs-sketchbooks.html.
SinoVision 美国中文电视, 2015. Lisk Feng: Painting Worlds Where People Find Warmth. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uy38ySYSFyA.
Skillshare, 2019. How To Use A Limited Color Palette To Create Better Illustrations With Illustrator Lisk Feng. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JKslFV6V9g.
The Pequenhos, 2017. The Migratory Illustrator Interview - Lisk Feng. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcFC4iznszI.
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