Exploring the idea of HUMANITY through illustrations during the first week of “quarantine” during the Covid 19 pandemic. I decided to try and produce one illustration a day stimulated by something i saw/read/heard that day.
1.It began with a gas mask: thinking and responding to pollution, the spreading of disease across the planet acting parallel to the spread of human inflicted pollution. Contrasted with the blossoming flowers, I wanted to narrate a conflict between man and nature, and the potentially fatal consequences man has. Considering a lot of my work has been heavily influenced by glitch art recently, I edited this illustration in a variety of “glitchy formats”, commenting on the dissolution of humanity in a state of global disrepair.
2.On the news one day I overheard a reporter commenting on social distancing, stating that “everybody around you could be a virus”, a statement that shocked me. Mainstream media was actively dehumanising people, scaremongering us into thinking we cant trust anybody, and that we are all a virus. I understand what the reporter was trying to say, but the execution of this report was potentially more harmful on the behaviours of human connection over the next however many weeks/months.
3.Contemplating what it means to be human deep down, our roots and connection to the planet we live on; i began exploring a relationship between nature and technology- with our humanity being composed of both natural phenomena and technological formats. Is there a potential imbalance between the rapid development of technology and the impact of the environment/our relationship with the environment?
4/5.Thinking about symbols of hope, and more importantly resilience in a time of uncertainty. These symbols came in the form of butterflies, plants, and crashing waves.
6.More recently thinking about the idea that the planet is currently going through a glitch. The underlying structures and foundations are cracking and showing their faults- leading to mass chaos and panic amongst people globally.
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6
Using these illustrations as ideas towards deeper experimentation and creative exploration of human nature- especially in a time of uncertainty and fear. I will most likely use digital editing a lot to further explore glitch art, playing with the various aesthetic impacts this visual manipulation creates, and the deeper narratives and connotations to these designs.
Caitlin Noble 