Between Two Pencils A Survey of Collaboration in Contemporary Illustration

Kevin Valente Exhibition Overview

Between Two Pencils: A Survey of Collaboration in Contemporary Illustration will investigate the increasingly accept- ed and growing movement of artistic partnerships in contemporary Illustration. Ever since the 1980s, the art world has grown to accept and admire the work that is created through collaborative efforts. Artistic genius is no longer considered to be tied to an individual, and as such, now some thirty odd years after the first appearanceRAW maga- zine — the successful, yet highly criticized collaboration between Art Speigelman and Francoise Mouly — today’s illustrators have the freedom and the ability to find new and creative ways to work together. These contemporary collaborations, with the benefit of a world globalized by the Internet, are expanding the boundaries and preconceived notions of what illustration art is to be.

This exhibition’s investigation into the ways in which two individuals — with different perspectives on art, life and philosophy — can come together, set aside their egos and enter into remarkably prolific creative partnerships will be presented through a series of ten illustrations by five different, currently published artistic collaborations. These partnerships and their works have been selected due to their own unique perspectives on collaboration — whether it is intimate portraits between two brothers, the automatic drawings between two friends, comedic styling between a couple who have been married over thirty-five years, the creative overhaul of a book series, or even an unlikely, but exceptional partnership between an artist and his thirteen year old neighbor. These works are no means the end-all- be-all of collaborative illustration art, but rather a concise collection meant to peek the curiosity and excite the audi- ence’s own desire to further explore the creativity that abounds through the process of collaboration.

Between Two Pencils: A Survey of Collaboration in Contemporary Illustration is an online exhibition curated by Kevin Valente as a mutual effort between the MICA MFA Illustration Practice program and the Norman Rockwell Museum. Themes Explored

This exhibition’s investigation of contemporary Illustration will explore the following themes:

Inside / Outsider Art: Artistic collaborations are not solely contained to working with other individuals in their own field. Several of the se- lected partnerships include illustrators working with other non-illustrators such as a graphic designer, their neighbor, and even a family member, and yet still make amazing illustration work. This mixture of insider/outsider art makes for a refreshing take on the work, as if combines not only completely different aesthetics and skill levels, but also because it allows for more diverse ideation.

Importance of the Artist’s Hand: Now in the second decade of the 21st century, commercial artists are no longer concerned with creating perfectly crafted works. The DIY aesthetics of the punk fanzine and Dadaism are playing a major role in allowing illustrators and designers the freedom to introduce their hand more freely into their own work, rather than hide behind the com- puter. Each of these illustrators in their own way are paying homage and redefining the aesthetics of contemporary illustration.

Internet and Connectivity: The Internet is utterly important not only in providing a broad audience to these collaborations, but also by facilitat- ing them as well. Being alive now, an illustrator who lives in England could easily communicate and collaborate with an illustrator in Los Angeles. The ability to communicate and collaborate with other artists has never been easier. The Parents of Collaboration: Two Pioneering Couples

Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly

In July of 1980, following in the footsteps of John Holmstrom and Legs McNeil, the husband and wife collabora- tion of Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly launched the independent magazine RAW that featured their own comix and graphics, as well as introduced many European, Japanese and American cartoonists and artists to the American public for the first time. Running until 1981,RAW was a huge success, helping catapult the underground comix scene into a full fledging movement; and today, its influences can be seen in the revival of small presses, growing alternative comic expos, and the budding DIY (Do It Yourself) movement that has permeated the contemporary fields of Illustration and Design.

As a partnership, Spiegelman and Mouly not only worked together as editors, but also collaborated through the roles of art director and artist, with Mouly art directing Spiegelman in the creation of the magazines covers. This direct collaboration between art director and artist is considered the most common and successful form of collaboration in the fields of Illustration and design today.

Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly Cover of Raw Issue #1: The Graphix Magazine of Postponed Suicides July 1980 Pen, ink and watercolor Raw Books

As the first cover ofRAW , the artwork created through collaboration between art director and illustrator speaks to the desire to reintro- duce adults to the world to comics. The black and white, well-mannered interior showcases a cultured man in a tuxedo reading an issue of RAW (the lettering in full color). The sim- ple graphic quality of the black and white line work and solid black fills creates a dramatic stage for the explosion of color, pattern and chaos that is happening outside the window. The man falling down can be seen as an allu- sion to the political and social unrest of the summer of 1980, or perhaps more readily, an expression of Spiegelman’s desire to launch adults back into the wonderment, awe and im- agination of the comic book world.

Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly Cover of Raw Issue #7: The Torn Again Graphic Mag May 1985 Mixed media and collage Raw Books

In the seventh issue of RAW, Spiegelman and Mouly yet again assume their roles as artist and art director. Upon completion of the cover, it was Mouly’s design aesthetic and idea to hand rip the top right corner of each magazine and then was tape the corner to the first inside page of each magazine. To add more attention to the content and theme of this issue, she had each magazine labeled “Damaged Goods Handle With Care.” The artwork itself is a col- lage of Spiegelman’s ripped up drawings as- sembled into a visually jarring and unsettling face (customary to the magazine’s aesthetic).

Robert Crumb and Aline Kominksy-Crumb

The second — and no less important — pioneering couple for Illustration collaboration is the married couple Rob- ert Crumb and Aline Kominksy-Crumb. Ever since the 1970s when the two began to collaborate on Dirty Laundry and Weirdo Magazine, this husband and wife partnership has revolutionized the comic and illustration worlds by the sheer fact that they are both physically working together on these collaborations at the same time. The comics they create literally are produced by Crumb and Kominksy-Crumb working on the same page together, both pencils and pens working at the same time. For almost forty years, their work unmistakably defines what it means to collaborate.

Self-proclaimed as the only couple who do what they do in the comic book world, Crumb and Kominksy-Crumb have mastered the skill of harmoniously melding their distinct styles together. Although it is easy to distinguish who drew what, not once in their comics does their drawing ever feel forced or insincere. This perhaps is the result of having spent their entire lives telling the humorous stories of their family life through their own neurotic, sexual, and ob- sessive tendencies. Their work has redefined the comic world, and has set the stage for contemporary illustrators to form collaborations without the fear of being marginalized as lesser artists Aline Kominksy-Crumb and Robert Crumb A Love Story: 35 Years in the Harness To- gether! 2007 Spread From “Drawn Together,” pages 238- 239 Pen and ink, watercolor Collection of the Artist

Keeping in the characteristics of their com- ics, the Crumbs each draw themselves and their own commentary. The characters are set against simple color backgrounds filled with crosshatching used to heighten the im- portance of the two characters’ interaction. Aline’s style is somewhat more graphic and crude, with her characterizations slightly modifying — as seen in her depiction of eyes and other facial features — throughout the different panels.In contrast, Robert’s draw- ing — notable for its heavy use of line work to create detail — remains consistent, which perfectly compliments the erratic and emo- tional behavior dialogue expressed by Aline’s character, and thus become a true reflection of their relationship, within the framework of the fantasy they have created. As usual, the copy in this comic is at once self-deprecating and loving at the same time, telling the world humorously about their unfaithful and often frowned-upon open marriage, but also, about how much they love each other.

Aline Kominksy-Crumb and Robert Crumb Drawn Together 2012

A collection of their work published in 2012, telling their story and showing the evolution of their collaboration over the past four decades.

Aline Kominksy-Crumb and Robert Crumb Excerpt from Aline and Bob in High Road to the Shmuck Seat: Featuring More Than You Wanna Know About Senior Sex 2010 From “Drawn Together,” pages 247-248 Pen and ink Collection of the Artist

As part of their final chapter of work about “everything you wanted to know about senior sex but were afraid to ask,” this two page spread of the black and white comic, pro- vides the viewer with what the Crumbs do the finest: express seemingly benign sentiments with crude humor and honesty. By allowing themselves to fully illustrate each panel with heavy use of delicate line work, small intri- cate details, and a fully realized environment — characteristics of their current work — the viewer is bombarded with a sensory overload. The overall complexity expertly reflects the dialogue being expressed about the responsi- bility of always having to produce work. At the same time, the contrast created by the goofy facial expressions and over the top dramati- zation of body language, provides show how willingly the Crumbs are to not only to poke fun at themselves, but at the publishing world they are apart of. Their lack of filter and frank statements, in both text and imagery, pro- vides a genuine portrayal of the world through their eyes. Contemporary Illustration Collaborations Directly Working On The Same Piece Thomas and James Gulliver Hancock Self Portrait 2011 Portrait completed for collaborative exhibition between the two brothers. Acrylic, collage, pencil, ink and pen on paper Collection of the Artist

First of two portraits created by Tom, who has Downs Syndrome, and his brother James cre- ated as a part of Tom and James Draw. This illustration of James is characterized by the combination of Tom’s unrestrained, abstracted visual language, and James confidant marks and organization through the screen-print in- spired color fields. Tom’s cluster of abstract symbols concentrated in the upper left-hand corner, references his interest in map-making as a means of story telling. The symbols exist outside the conventional constraints set up by James, which speaks to their nature of col- laboration: Tom has free following creativity, but often becomes distracted, while James as a self proclaimed “workaholic,” helps Tom to “concentrate on his creativity,” while relaxing his obsessions at the same time. Thomas and James Gulliver Hancock Self Portrait 2011 Portrait completed for collaborative exhibition between the two brothers. Acrylic, collage, pencil, ink and pen on paper Collection of the Artist

Second of two portraits created in the series. This illustrated portrait of Tom draws paral- lels to the work of the Crumb and Kominksy- Crumb collaboration, in the fact that these brothers are physically creating a piece by ac- tively working on it at the same time. This por- trait of Tom is heavily embellished by his own abstract symbols, which dictate the composi- tion of the piece. The heavy use of enigmatic shapes and marks, as well as the repetition of facial features such as eyes, is perhaps best understood as an expression of Tom’s own hu- man perception and obsessions, which due to his developmental disability, are uneasily ex- pressed verbally. The language of marks is at once chaotic and yet structured, a reference again to James’ draftsmanship, which effec- tively keeps the illustration from becoming overly complex. Unlike the portrait of James, the organic network of shapes and lines en- compasses and frames the head creating a halo-like effect. This, in addition to the warm- er color palette and the smile drawn makes the portrait cheerful and optimistic, creating an effective contrast against the more serious portrait of James. Niv Bavarsky and Michael Olivo The Bavarsky-Olivo Curious Man 2012 Ink, pen, marker and screentone Collection of the artist

A portrait between two long time friends and collaborators, The Bavarsky-Olivo Curious Man draws deep parallels to the automatic drawings of the Surrealists. Working within a scheme of primary colors, the two illustrators meld together their distinctive mark making and color expression to build up a complex abstract imagine of a man. The composition is active with elements of figurative work, and both representative and abstract symbolism (notability the allusions to human organs and flora) working to peek our own curiosity, as well as express the curiosities of the world around the man, who is portrayed as whimsi- cally peering and about to touch of the curi- osities around him. The over all scene effec- tively evokes sentiments of the lowbrow, DYI aesthetic created through the use of marker and screentone. Niv Bavarsky and Michael Olivo The Bavarsky-Olivo Portrait 2012 Ink, pen and screentone Collection of the artist

Similar to the Bavarsky-Olivo Curious Man, the illustrated portrait is enigmatic and char- acterized by Bavarksy’s raw sensibility and Ol- ivo’s graphic, comic book inspired line work. The melding of their two styles creates a black and white portrait that is shrouded in mystery. In the lower right, black specks spout from the mouth, which is distinguished by two teeth. A reference to a nose is made in the black extension above it, supporting a pickle like growth. Beyond these two main features, everything else in the illustration is masked in a complex network of slimy skin, abstract- ed boils, belts and gasses expelling from the amorphous head. On top, the stems of flowers intermingle with spikes to create the illusion of hair; the motif of twisted lines is referenced again in the neck. The overall effect is that of decay and growth, and yet, entirely entertain- ing to look at. This effect combined with the references to street art and the punk aesthetic of the late 1980s, provides a perfect exam- ple of the how broad the canon of illustration has become. A piece as abstract as this would have never considered illustration twenty years ago, and yet the collaboration are find- ing work today. Luke Ramsey and Finlay Pogue Untitled 2010 Mixed media collage Collection of the artist

The collaboration between the Canadian illus- trator Luke Ramsey and Finlay Pogue is amaz- ing not only due to the work the two have cre- ated together, but because Ramsey is actually collaborated with his thirteen year old neigh- bor to make these illustrations. The collabora- tion, which began through Ramsey’s “Islands Fold” residency, covers a series of drawings, an animation and ‘zine. Ramsey is quoted as saying, “I really like drawing with Finlay. He is a natural. The results with him are the same as with any professional artist.”

Looking at this illustration it is easy to see the influence of graffiti street art and the Punk DIY aesthetic: the use of graphic, bold shapes, squiggly lines, intentional rejection of a grid- ded scene, bright colors and bizarre creatures. As chaotic and overwhelming as this illustra- tion is, the bizarre landscape of this fantasti- cal monster world given a reprieve by the large flat colors that help to bring harmony to this conglomeration of collaged doodles and draw- ings.

Luke Ramsey and Finlay Pogue Various Portraits 2010 For Husmee Magazine, Barcelona, Spain – Issue 11 Pen and ink on paper, digital color Collection of the Artist

In these various collaborative “monster mug- shots,” Ramsey and Pogue have restrained themselves from their usual chaotic collabo- ration by celebrating the harmony that exists through a limited color palette and flat colors. The ingenuity of these twelve portraits is that because Ramsey draws in style so referential to his past street art days, making allusions to intentional lowbrow ideals, it still remains dif- ficult to tell the difference between the draw- ing he has done and the work by Pogue. As such, the each portrait becomes unified, mak- ing the disparate, jumbled, and intricately patterned faces appear to belong to together. This is further heightened by the pattern cre- ated through the color of the monster’s bodies. Matt and Gina (Matt Curtius and Gina Triplett) The Kings and Queens of Roam Book Cover 2012 Mixed media Collection of the Artist

Channeling Aline Kominksy-Crumb and Rob- ert Crumb, Matt and Gina too are a married artistic partnership that work directly on illus- trations together. This book cover for Daniel Wallace’s The Kings and Queens of Roam is representative of their collaborative aesthetic of mixing a variety of styles together through the use of paint when making imagery. The mixture of flat graphic color and natural el- ements blend seamlessly together to create an environment full of romantic mysticism. The overall ethereal mood is further comple- mented by the dry brush effect of the bright blue background and delicate pink line work of butterflies and birds that begin at the gorge and extend off the page at the top. The com- bination of the blue and pink works well to highlight the hand lettering, which is the clear hero of the piece commanding the page, as it should, since the hand painted illustration is created for a book cover. What is most remark- able about the collaboration between Matt and Gina, is their conviction to work tradition- ally in a market and field where digital reigns supreme. Matt and Gina (Matt Curtius and Gina Triplett) Roasted Fig and Quail Salad 2010 Mixed media Collection of the Artist

This illustrated recipe — part of an on going series — speaks to Matt and Gina’s desire to explore new directions in their work, as well as their love and interest in cooking and eat- ing. The hand-painted illustration is a tribute to a recipe by Alice Waters, for which the col- laboration created a visual bouquet of all the ingredients required to make a Roasted Fig and Quail Salad, as well as some floral embel- lishments. Similar to the book cover, Matt and Gina play with the application and stylization of the paints they are using, seamlessly mov- ing between flat graphic imagery, such as the endive and other plant leaves, and illustrative rendering of the flower petals, shallots, and figs. The addition of the spoon suspended from the twig provides a well-humored touch and keeps the mood light and whimsical, and reminds the viewer that this is simply an il- lustrated recipe. Intellectual Exchange of Ideas Brian Rea and Paul Sahre Malcolm Gladwell Collected 2011 Illustrations and Book Design for Gladwell’s first three books The Tipping Point, Blink and Outliers published by Little Brown. Book Design, pen on paper and digital color Collection of the artist

Collaborating as illustrator and designer, Bri- an Rea and Paul Sahre were given the task of illustrating and designing Malcolm Gladwell Collected, a box set of Gladwell’s first three books. Taking upon this task in what is con- sidered the worst time in publishing for book design provided the collaboration with the freedom to create something entirely unique. As a collaboration it was Rea and Sahre’s goal to provide Malcolm with a product that had weight to it and that a reader would want to hold. Although the two were not directly col- laborating on the illustrations and designs to- gether, Rea and Sahre, similar to the collabo- rative nature of Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly, collaborated intellectually through the exchange of ideas. Rea produced illustrations with Sahre in mind; Sahre laid out the book with Rea in mind. As a result, both agreed that the role of illustration and design was not to outshine the words of the novel, but rather to enhance the readership, and as such, much of the visual language created is abstract and vague complementing not only the clean and contemporary design, but also the novel itself. Brian Rea and Paul Sahre Blink Title Page 2011 Spread for Blink as part of Malcolm Gladwell Collected published by Little Brown. Book Design, pen on paper and digital color Collection of the artist

The title page from the Gladwell’s book Blink showcases the collaboration between illus- trator and designer. Rea’s illustration is a simple black line that extends from off the page, referencing a fuse that begins several pages before. At the point of reaching the ti- tle page, the line zigzags over the blue text textural background crossing over the type set by Sahre, and explodes into abstract firework like symbols as a means to draw attention to the book. The overall effect of the illustration is that of something that was drawn into the book, which was a desire of Sahre. The col- laboration, similar in effect to the execution of the two other title pages, references both the desire for the artists’ hands to be apparent in the design, as well as the allusions made to the rebellious Punk DYI aesthetic. At the same time, the abstract language of the il- lustration sets the stage for the series, and reflects Rea’s desire to not want to illustrate the book, but rather create imagery that would at times align with the content, and at other times only be only abstractly connected. Uberkrafft (Matt Williams) and Rachel Green Witch of Trees Summer 2012 Pen and digital hellohead

Illustration of collaborative partner Rachel Green for hellohead, an exhibition and silent auction curated by Lucy Joy and Rosie Shorter to raise proceeds for the National Autistic So- ciety. Uberkrafft after pulling Green’s name from a hat was tasked with the responsibil- ity of illustrating her in his own style. The il- lustration is a standard head on portrait with a whimsical twist. Using a photo Green had sent him, Uberkraft applies his own graphic geometric patterning to her face, referencing Native American and Aboriginal motifs. He closes her eyes, replacing her nose with two triangles — creating the transformative af- fect of a bird — and leaves her mouth open as if singing or calling to the trees. Although abstracted, the entire scene is pleasant with bright colors set completed by neutral grays and browns. Unlike the previous collabora- tions, the collaboration between Uberkrafft and Green never happened in person, and rather remains tied to concept that each per- son is illustrating a person he or she has (and in the case) most likely never met before. Uberkrafft (Matt Williams) and Rachel Green hello Ubefkrafft Summer 2012 Graphite, watercolor, pencil crayon and Digital collage hellohead

Green’s illustrated portrait for the hellohead exhibition excellently captures the likeness of her fellow collaborator through the use of graphite and watercolor. His face engages the viewer with a determined and serious expression, as if to suggest he is a seasoned professional. It is not her technical skill that makes this illustration so engaging, but rather her choice to contrast his expression with her own sentimentality and color usage. Green’s choice to do so also pays homage to the cra- zy and colorful world that is found in Uber- krafft’s work, and thus his imagination. The ethereal garden upon his head expands upon this idea of man who seems more than what meets the eye by evoking themes of intellect, joy and good fortune through the use of birds both nesting and flying away. Furthermore, it is rather happy coincidence that both illus- trators turned to nature to express their un- derstanding of each other. However, perhaps most engaging of the entire illustration are the small moments, when watercolor has bled in an unexpected way and we see the illustra- tor’s hand come alive to work with the media. The Heads of State (Jason Kernevich and Dustin Summers) Editorial Illustration for Print Magazine 2010 Digital Collection of the Artist

This illustration by the Philadelphia based col- laborative Illustration and Design team known as the Heads of State was created for Print Magazine, and discusses the importance of collaboration between designers and the well business-minded to create a “top notch crea- tive firm.” Their graphic language and con- ceptual simplicity of their collaboration works well to express the notion of “two heads are better than one.” As the same time, referenc- es to screen printed textures and sold color flats — although created digitally — speak to the desire of the collaboration to pay homage to the DYI aesthetic. As an artistic partner- ship, the Heads of State have mastered the ability to create as one although in recent years Kernevich, much like Mouly has taken on a more art director type role, yet nonethe- less, neither collaborator’s hand can be dis- tinctly distinguished in the illustration. The Heads of State (Jason Kernevich and Dustin Summers) Editorial Illustration for Atlantic Monthly 2010 Digital Collection of the Artist

This collaborative illustration depicts the peril of the American dollar, which is referenced in the use of the color red laid over the cut apart dollar bill. The main symbols from the front of the one dollar bill — the number one (repeat- ed twice), the uppercase “L” as part of San Francisco Federal Reserve Seal, George Wash- ington’s head, and the United States treasury seal — have been cut out and depicted as balloons floating away. The metaphor is fur- ther heightened by the truly somber look on our first president’s face expressing obviously that if nothing is done, the power of the dol- lar bill, and consequentially, the prowess of the American people will fly away, leaving on the tattered remains of an age bygone. Simi- lar to the Heads of State previous illustration, strong parallels to the DYI aesthetic are ap- parent in the collage and assemblage forma- tion of the piece, as well as the reference to a raw printer quality. Beyond the Printed Page Josh Holinaty and Luke Ramsey Giant Transition 2011 Mural, golden acrylic paint on wall Edmonton Art Council

This collaborative mural between Canadian illustrators Josh Holinaty and Like Ramsey, which was produced by Edmonton Small Press Association as a part of a community enrichment program, speaks about the man’s consumption and the need to return to a natural world. Working together, Holinaty and Ramsey have created a scene depicting two giants. On the left we have the compassion- ate giant from nature — her body made up for flora, fauna and rivers — and on the right, we have the giant made up of man-made objects, junk, and trash — symbolizing his connect to a land of “mass consumption and waste.” In a sign of compassion at the uneasiness in his face, the nature giant extends her hand to the consumption giant and a transformation begins to take place. Their faces complete a circle alluding to idea that they will soon be in harmony with each other. Through creating such a mural, Holinaty and Ramsey are able to freely to express their own artistic creativ- ity and ideation, while also freeing themselves from the constrains of the printed page, al- lowing their work to be readily available to the public. Jessica Hische, Russell Maschmeyer, Jona- than Hoefler &Tobias Frere-Jones, Christo- pher Silas Neal, Frank Stockton, Nicholas Felton, Sam Weber, Josh Cochran, Gilbert Ford, Jason Kernevich, Chris Buzelli, Grady McFerrin, Alex Eben Meyer, Neil Swaab, Jennifer Daniel, Gina Triplett & Matt Curtius, James Gulliver Hancock, and Jillian Tamaki Jess and Russ June 2012 Interactive web invitation Collection of the Artist

For her wedding announcement last year, Jes- sica Hische asked her friends to contribute and collaborate with her to create an interac- tive webpage that tells the story of she and her now husband Russell Maschmeyer met and fell in love. Although highly criticized and scoffed at by online forums, being called “The World’s Most Hipster Wedding Announce- ment” by the website Gawker, the interactive invitation represents an important moment in Illustration history. No other time in re- cent history have eighteen of today’s young and most celebrated Illustration and Graphic Design heroes joined forces to collaborate on a personal project in support of their friend. Jessica Designed the invitation, Hoefler and Frere-Jones provided the typeface Sentinel, and the rest of the collaborators contributed artwork in a monochromatic color scheme that would be used to tell the story, as guest scrolled down the page to the RSVP card. The entire experience speaks to both the impor- tance and power of community in the closely linked Illustration and Design communities, but also to the importance of the Internet, for which without this project would never have existed.

Alyssa Nasser and Rachel Dougherty Ten Paces and Draw April 2011-Present Collaborative webpage Collection of the Artist

Not to be confused with Illustration Fridays, which is a large online collective, the website Ten Paces and Draw is an online community whose main objective is to promote collabora- tion. Started in April 2011 by Alyssa Nasser and Rachel Dougherty, Ten Paces and Draw is a collaborative project that invites illustrators and designers to come together and create art. Each week, the website offers a unique chal- lenge for which the artists are asked to pro- duce sketches and submit them to the web- site. The sketches are then swapped between artists, allowing the different participants to take the sketches to full completion and thus participate in a virtual collaborate. The result- ing illustrations and preliminary sketches are then posted upon competition with the hopes that the illustrators and designers who partici- pate will have enjoyed the experience, as well as learn from having collaborated with some- one they have never met before.

To date the collaborative projects include: Patterns, Fash- ion, Disney, Pokémon, Astrology, Eccentric Millionaires, Fashion Faux Pas, Arrested Development, Hip Hop, Ex- otic Travel, Zelda, Greek Mythology, Pin-Ups, Occult, Let- tering, Miyazaki, Spies + Detectives, Fashion (2), Mad Tea Party, The Hobbit, Handsome Gents, Dreams, John Hughes, Mad Scientist, Pet Peeves, Tribal, Perks of Being a Wallflower, Cocktails, Apocalypse, Forbidden Romance, Great Gatsby, Fairy Tales, Dr. Seuss, Oddities, Musicals, #Hashtag Pt. 1-2, Folk Art, Pretty Ladies, Harry Potter, Villains, Hand Lettering, Fan Art, Fashion (3), Came of Thrones, and Guilty Pleasures. Educational Ideas

Learning the art of collaboration for the Artist.

To further the idea of community art and collaboration, Between Two Pencils would include links to several well- known websites that allow artists to collaborate with working illustrators. Each website would have a brief synopsis about the history of the website, the contributors, the mission, as well as who would be best suited for participat- ing. Such collaborations would include How Fucking Romantic, Feast, Illaborate, Ten Paces and Draw, and Illustra- tion Friday. Beyond the links, the online exhibition would also include an option for visitors to engage in their own collaboration with fellow artists by offering the option to exchange ideas, as well as a program that would allow two persons the ability to draw and make art together from any point across the globe on an “open gallery wall.” All completed work would then be displayed on a separate education page. The lasting impression would to be to allow artists interesting in collaboration the opportunity to do so.

Lecture and interview series for general audience.

To hear more about why established artists and contemporary illustrators are choosing to collaborate, there would be records of video and text interviews with members of the Illustration community who are considered to be amongst the forebears of the collaborative movement. This section would include interviews with Art Spiegelman and Fran- çoise Mouly, R Crumb, Aline Kominsky-Crumb and Robert Crumb, Alyssa Nasser and Rachel Dougherty from Ten Paces and Draw, and Penelope Dullagan from Illustration Fridays. These interviews would then be supplemented with a curated selection of Ted Talks about the power of community and collaboration in the arts. The over all idea would to be allow those interested in collaborative illustration to understand why people chose to do work together and how the act has transformed their own work and ways of seeing. If this would exist in the real world, panel dis- cussions with featured artists would be given.