The Dark Arts of the Creative Industry

03Dec12

As Deuze & Steward (2011) suggests in today’s technology and cross media variances, media companies and individual professionals have to constantly maintain their adaptation to the emerging new technologies. The fact that users now proactively take part in the acts of co-creation forces media managers and workers to rethink their processes and practices (p. 4). The challenges of this environment, though, may also present an opportunity to let artists wander outside of the box and push them to create original things.

The illustrations of Creative Reveal Posters—Le Designer and Brand Guru—the creative art about being ‘creative’ in the ‘creative industry’ seems like a good example of this. The working environment or ‘creative ethos’ of creators is depicted in a very original way. The posters metaphorically depict creative artists. In Le Designer, he is a Harry Houdini-styled escape-artist magician; his hands are bound and his eyes blind-folded as he tries to perform something of a miracle, working under tight budgets and the time constraints. With the magician (and the creator’s) endeavors displayed in full public view, the text at the foot reminds you that there is ‘No lying. No cheating. No undercutting’. The second art piece, The Brand Guru, gives us a depiction of the creative worker as a fortune-teller or sorcerer, using some magic to cast a spell on consumers. As you click through the art, he transforms into a creature of the undead who undoubtedly uses his dark arts to ensnare us. The mustachioed psychic has the ability to ‘make and break brands with his bare hands’! He’s seen looking into his crystal ball for answers to questions such as: ‘Will it last? Will it sound nice? Will it make enemies? Will it succeed? Will it win my lawsuit? I find these illustrations very creative and appealing to the audiences’, but also the others in the creative industry. It’s creative work that must hold some appeal for creative workers.

The story, posters, and links to the different version of the illustration can be found at: http://www.computerarts.co.uk/blog/roll-roll-creative-reveal-123497.

-Muge Fazlioglu

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