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Illustration in Creative Nonfiction
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From: Richard Kerper <Richard.Kerper>
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 10:16:27 -0400
Monica raises an important question about illustrations. Children derive information from illustrations as well as the text in nonfiction. Therefore, illustrators should have the same burden of establishing their authority as authors do.
In talking with some illustrators, I have found that this is not a shared belief. These artists argue that they use photographs which refer to the real world, and they extrapolate from many of them in creating their images. They argue that this reduces their need to document the source(s) used. Since hundreds of sources might be used for one picture book, documentation becomes a Herculean task. Yet some illustrators have taken care in letting the reader know the source(s) used. Look at Kevin Hawkes documentation in The Librarian Who Measured the Earth or Michael Dooling's in The Amazing Life of Benjamin Franklin. Whether a traditional bibliographic format or an artist's note is used matters very little. The point is the respect that the illustrator has for the audience that might want to dig further into the visual representation of a historical period, a variety of a life form, etc. or verify the accuracy of what is seen.
Text seems to be dominant in our society. Therefore, it is not surprising to me that our standard for authority has been higher in the textual realm than the visual. It is time for a change, isn't it?
Received on Tue 23 Apr 2002 09:16:27 AM CDT
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 10:16:27 -0400
Monica raises an important question about illustrations. Children derive information from illustrations as well as the text in nonfiction. Therefore, illustrators should have the same burden of establishing their authority as authors do.
In talking with some illustrators, I have found that this is not a shared belief. These artists argue that they use photographs which refer to the real world, and they extrapolate from many of them in creating their images. They argue that this reduces their need to document the source(s) used. Since hundreds of sources might be used for one picture book, documentation becomes a Herculean task. Yet some illustrators have taken care in letting the reader know the source(s) used. Look at Kevin Hawkes documentation in The Librarian Who Measured the Earth or Michael Dooling's in The Amazing Life of Benjamin Franklin. Whether a traditional bibliographic format or an artist's note is used matters very little. The point is the respect that the illustrator has for the audience that might want to dig further into the visual representation of a historical period, a variety of a life form, etc. or verify the accuracy of what is seen.
Text seems to be dominant in our society. Therefore, it is not surprising to me that our standard for authority has been higher in the textual realm than the visual. It is time for a change, isn't it?
Received on Tue 23 Apr 2002 09:16:27 AM CDT
