compare and contrast

Many illustrators create great pieces of work even though if their working methods are similar. A different approach to the subject matter can change the whole image and the meaning. Some illustrators choose to work alone and some choose to work within a team. Otto is such illustrator who prefers to work in isolation but that does not goes to say that he is not open to ideas. I have looked at Otto's work before and i do find it fascinating as he loves to keep his ideas fresh and the most important factor is he haves fun with it. He understands what he wants from his compositions and therefore the outcome is far more accurate and effective. He is inspired by Russian and Polish posters which are the catalysts for his work. He enjoys the fact that combining various elements such as screen prints with digital method, create a a more effective image. He is not scared to take chances or to play around with compositions and the confidence is reflected in his work.
Otto's work in some ways in limited and feels like is restricted within his style of work. This is where I feel Container plus, a multidisciplinary art selective has got an upper hand in terms of ideas and working methods. They specialize in various creative areas such as photography, moving image, set design, illustration and many more. This gives them the versatility and ammunition for their ideas and to some extend makes it easier for them to approach clients as they pretty much cover everything in terms of visual language. Otto has a very unique style and his work offers freshness and is quite playful as oppose to container plus, who's work seems a lot more serious and doesn't seem have that edge which Otto's work posses. Container plus however make it up in other departments such as animation, set design and short films. These have to be said are quite interesting to observe and is a break from the norm. They made an ad for the MTV's Lush, which was combination of illustration and moving image. The programme is aimed at younger audience so therefore it had to have that energy and impact which would capture the attention of the viewer and it did. It begins with these patterns being made on the floor and they start inter twinning with the characters in the ad. The idea is simple yet its been executed wonderfully. Similar to this, they did a self initiated project called the evil twin, which had elements of self made paper shapes and illustrations working together with photography. This is a different yet a more creative take on a well known genre and it shows that having an another technique or a discipline under your wing will give you opportunities to explore and enhance your creativity.
Otto does a lot of self promotion work, which helps him expand his work to wider audience. I do feel that he is missing out on greater opportunities and it would be very interesting to see his kind of crazy, mad filled ideas into animation or incorporated in some sort of photographic work.
He is a big fan of Alfred Hitchcock films as he appreciates the dramatic camera angles and dynamic approach to the subject matter. These influences are quite evident in most of his editorial work and self initiated projects. He knows how his process of thought and how he works for example, he would produce around three roughs to a client before anything is being finalized but it also depends on the client. It takes him around three hours to produce an image for an editorial on average. He is quite efficient this way as everything is kept to the minimum and there are less things to worry about. This is where I feel lies both strength and weakness for container plus. As we already know that they are multi-purpose company and cater for most of the visual methods. This means that there is a high possibility that they could end up juggling more things at a time. For example, they can get commissioned for animation, set design and photography at the same time which could mean they got more what they bargained for. Problems within team can pop up such as someone is ill, or they are behind schedule or even simple things such as agreeing on an idea can create all sorts of problems for themselves. So I think there has to be a lot of discipline and professionalism within the team in order for them to achieve their goals. So there can be stressful situations within container plus, however they kept their heads screwed on so far so it must be working in their favor.
Working alone can be a problem for Otto too. If he is stuck for ideas or needs some sort of technical advice, then he has no one there at that time and we have to remember the deadlines for editorials are tight so he would need things done at a faster pace. I do feel that Otto finds it easier to work alone as there are less distractions and he can work at his own pace. His work has a great amount of witt and humor which makes the observer want to revisit them again and again. But it is a shame not to see them in a more varied context. I feel what ever context he uses his work, it will make it come alive with energy and humor. Container plus I feel have the upper hand in terms of creativity. Each individual gets a chance to learn about a different discipline which helps them grow as artists and this where I feel Otto is missing out on, knowledge and a chance to learn and grow as an illustrator.