What is Illustration?

What is it about?

The field of artistic research in illustration requires an updated definition of illustration to accompany recent exploratory research methods, concepts and media. A consideration of the etymology of ‘illustration’ and ‘illumination’ leads to the pre-Latin root, leuk (‘light’), and the problematic conflation of illustrating with enlightenment. Referring to Derrida’s Socratic theory of illustration and critique of mimicry, I argue for expanding illustration definitions to include ‘shadows’ – illustration’s propensity to mislead or falsify. I adopt the ancient word ghel (‘glow’) to recuperate the illusory aspect of illustrating as a more embodied, alternative conceptualization of shining light and casting shadow, one that puts visual and affectual meanings before verbal. Then I provide examples of how in practice ghel, iconoclasm and aniconism illustrate ‘non-representable’ events and experiences. I conclude with a definition of illustration for illustration research.

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Why is it important?

This article contributes a new idea to the ever-slippery definition of illustration.

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