Rosie Patterson (She/Her)
My work primarily centres around editorial illustration and animation, focusing on condensing complex subject matter into accessible visuals. Through exploring dynamic compositions with vibrant colours, I seek to connect people to the important topics impacting our world today, by creating visually engaging and informative channels to introduce complicated ideas. My practice this year has taken inspiration from topics such as new media culture, the workplace environment, and our biological makeup. Though my work addresses heavy topics, I balance this with a playful approach, creating humorous visuals which are complimented by emotional depth.
Projects
Collaborative Works
Feeling Connected
‘Feeling Connected’ is a short animation responding to the words of Vivek Murthy in a podcast for RSA Events, discussing the need for human connection in a world of isolation. Animating the podcast provided a platform to explore hand drawn frames, texture, and a vibrant colour palette that celebrates the tactility of the process. By initially tracing the journey of a single character and their experience of isolation, the viewer is encouraged to consider what is possible when communities work together. Visual metaphors and the subtle addition of sound help bring the narrative to life.
Accessible Editorial
This project took the form of editorial gifs of which the main purpose is to take what would usually be a complex subject matter and distil it down in a visually accessible way. The articles have all been extracted from the New Humanist magazine, and tackle themes such as mental health, the workplace environment, confirmation bias online, and our biological makeup. I have followed a process of analysing the text, mocking up a design that condenses the information into appropriate imagery, and conducting test movements before assembling the final gif.
Writings on the Wall
‘Free, the hedges grow’ is a mural project which speaks to the vibrant tight-knit community within Garnethill. We began an extensive research process into Garnethill – talking with residents to gain insight into people’s first-hand experiences. Searching through the archives of the Women’s Library and The Mitchell Library for old documents and photographs relating to the area. Scouting out ideal walls within the community to paint on, we merged type development with illustrative elements to create a bold, colourful composition. It was important to us that the mural spoke to the notion of putting time and effort into the community, creating a natural cycle that carries through the generations.
How We Got To Where We Are Now
After asking the three questions (Where are we going? How are we getting there? What are we leaving behind?) I asked some people to draw How We Got To Where We Are Now on a ripped piece of packaging, of which we tend to discard without much thought. This open-ended question provoked some interesting responses, with some people illustrating how humankind got to the present moment beginning with the Big Bang, and others simply drew the route we took up the stairs and through the corridor to the room where I asked them the questions. Each and every response is a representation of how others view the world, and the diversity of our thoughts.
