As soon as someone says ‘illustration’, everybody freezes!

What does ‘illustration’ actually mean? A picture of the text? An accompaniment to the text? A continuation of it? Or confirmation of it? The significance of illustration is quite controversial. How can it thus be described, considered or thought of?

A talk about illustration.
Initiated by Uta Schneider and Ulrike Stoltz (Offenbach/Berlin)
with Juliane Wenzl, illustrator (Leipzig)
Matthew Tyson, artist (Crest, France)
Dr Stefan Soltek, art historian and director of the Klingspor Museum (Offenbach)
Christopher Breu, typographer and director of the Hegenbarth Sammlung (Berlin).

Since 2014, the artist duo ‹usus›: Uta Schneider and Ulrike Stoltz have published the artist magazine z.B. / for example / the book. Each year, four numbers appear, where they cast an eye over the vast field of (artists’) books from a variety of perspectives. In only four pages, there is an essay in German and English, plus an image as an independent contribution. The entire volume 5 (2018) is dedicated to illustration.

It all began with an incidental comment by Stefan Soltek, the head of the Klingspor Museum Offenbach: “… one should sometimes re-think the idea of illustration …”. This was picked up by the editors and they, in turn asked him to write something about it. For the further three numbers they invited three other contributors:

Juliane Wenzl is a free-lance illustrator and a leading member fo the German Illustrators’ Organisation (IO) (from 2008 until 2014 she was on the board of directors of IO; and since 2015 as member of its political advisory board). Her arguments are deeply rooted in her illustrating practice.

Matthew Tyson is an artist with a focus on books, paintings, installations, and prints. He is considered a master printer and is one of the co-proprietors of “imprints” (with his wife Isabella Oulton). Born in England he lives in France, he therefore adds a different, non German perspective.

Finally, Christopher Breu, as the director of the Hegenbarth Collection Berlin, is very familiar with the work of one of the most important illustrators of the 20th century. He also has a background as a book designer.

Uta Schneider and Ulrike Stoltz accompanied each of these texts with an independent typographic image (or should one say: Illustration?).

The four positions differ considerably and are interesting to compare. So far, the contributors have not yet met in person — this is in itself reason enough for this talk. Once  each of the author’s arguments is presented, briefly, the discussion then aims to develop further the various aspects of illustration further — it is specifically intended to involve the audience. We look forward to a fruitful exchange!

Die vier Ausgaben des Jahrgangs zur Illustration sind an diesem Abend zum Preis von je € 6,— oder vorab per Bestellung an die E-Mail-Adresse  programm@herr-hegenbarth-berlin.de  zu erwerben.

Presseexpemlare als PDF frei erhältlich