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I studied Illustration and Fine Art at Pratt Institute (1956 - 60).
At the time Fine Art and Illustration were one department. I always thought I would be in advertising,
perhaps even own an advertising agency. I took Fine Art and Illustration because that was the department
I felt I knew the least about and I wanted to learn something new. By the time I entered my senior year -
in fact during the last semester of my senior year - I had an unsettling experience.
The only thing that made me "feel better" was making art. The art I made were small,
private and intimate paintings - telling detailed stories, utilizing figures and symbols.
I showed them to no one. In class I was creating abstract paintings reflecting the new work,
abstract expressionism, which was showing in the galleries.
Through a series of events one of my instructors saw the paintings. Upon the surprise of discovering they were mine he requested a meeting. We went through all of them and he made me realize that these paintings were the work that was "true to myself" and that I should develop in this direction. My whole world was turned around. 
Upon graduation I decided to pursue illustration. I had friends
who were recently graduated from Pratt and other schools. We would help
each other by sharing contacts of art directors. We had sketch groups
where we drew from a model. At these gatherings we would look
at each other's work, give crits and encouragement.
I was hell-bent on supporting myself and did not want to follow the conventional route that was expected of young women of the 50's generation. I supported myself freelancing, working 3 days a week, designing textiles, and later added clothing design for Lady Van Heusen, an offshoot of Van Heusen shirts for men. I designed my own line, which I named Lady Van Tastic. All the while I was taking my portfolio around to art directors the two days I was not working. On the weekend I would do any job I was assigned from a magazine or advertising agency. It took about 8 years before I could support myself as an illustrator. My work was never that commercial, even though I tried very hard to make it salable. It took a while before people became comfortable with it even though I won some awards early on, from the Society of Illustrators, and was even published in one of the first or second issues of CA magazine. What marked changes have you seen in the illustration field since you've been working? This is such a complex question from my point of view going back so many years. I think the changes happened subtlety decade by decade. In the early sixties a more fine art personal approach to illustration was taking place. Illustrators such as Marshall Arisman, Alan Cober, Bob Gill, R.O.Blechman, Tony Palladino, and Robert Weaver, to name a few were pushing new boundaries. Push Pin Studios, a few years earlier, was also doing very exceptional work in illustration and design. For the first time in history the younger generation was having a greater impact on society. Social mores were becoming more liberal. The introduction of the birth control pill allowed women to be more independent. Women now had more control over their biological destiny. One cannot separate the music industry's influence on visual culture. In the middle 50's Rhythm and Blues was a growing force among a more liberal younger generation. R and B merged into Rock and Roll when The Beatles came to the USA in 1964. Everything "exploded". It was an exciting time and illustration was reflecting that change. By the time the 70's rolled around a more modern look in illustration was taking hold and there were many more illustrators, men and women, entering the field of illustration. Photography was gaining strength in the 60's and by the 70's it was a major visual influence. Publications and art directors, such as Henry Wolf, Robert Benton and Marvin Israel, to name a few, were more willing to be daring. At the same time the Women's Movement was taking place (In 1972 Ms. Magazine made its debut) and this led to many articles about women and their issues. Many more women were successfully entering the illustration field. The Black Book, the first artists' compendium of paid advertising, started in 1973. The illustrators from the 40's and 50's were loosing ground. There were less and less publications using them. They were also getting very high fees for their work. The 60's saw a steep decline in the type of fees that older illustrators were receiving. A restructuring of the industry was taking place. By the 80's the fees still remained the same as they were in the 60's and 70's. The cost of living was rising but the fees were staying at the same level. Artists whose work were very popular and had very individual and particular styles had many imitators. Alan Cober and Jim McMullan are two artists that come to mind, who had "admirers". In the early 80's the computer era was just beginning. Apple introduced the first Mac Plus 512 around 1984 (I bought one), and the Commodore Amiga (I was given one to "experiment" with) was influencing the animation world. By the end of the 80's it was clear that the computer was not a "fad," as so many artists and designers had hoped it would be and it slowly began to take hold and change every industry including the arts. By the 90's fees still remained the same. Stock illustration books were introduced along with the proliferation of many new artists' directories, there were many more artists vying for the dwindling number of jobs, and the computer made it easy for stock companies to compile and identify subject and style. I felt that illustrators needed to broaden their perspective and learn new skills. They needed to embrace the electronic arts and expand their knowledge base to include design and typography so they could compete by doing the complete job. New markets were being developed because of the computer. Two examples are the proliferation of animation and creating images and designing for the web. (I could not do this question justice without writing a book but I think I gave you a good idea of some of the changes.) What drew you to the illustration field? Did you have any female mentors? Whose work inspired you most? I was one of a few female illustrators in the 60's. In fact I was not aware of the fact that there were few women in the field at the time. Gender was not an issue. Lorraine Fox was one person I was aware of whose work was strong. She was from the previous generation and her work reflected that period. I did get a lot of encouragement from my peers and I admired the work of many of them. That encouragement and friendship allowed me to persevere. Given the sensitive nature of so many of today's new stories, do you see women having an advantage in covering that type of subject matter? Since there is so much "art" in illustration, the art director, who assigns the work, is as much a part of the art as the illustrator. Together they deal with any sensitive issues editorially and visually. I do not see women illustrators having an advantage. I see style and approach as being the main attributes an Art Director will look for, not gender. What would be your ideal assignment? The ideal assignment would be anything to do with psychological, health and scientific issues, or anything where I can do research and learn something new from the assignment. What advice would you give to young female illustrators just starting to work today? Are there any whose work you admire? How do you think things are different for them? Young women illustrators (and men) should learn many skills, such as design, photography, and without question all the digital skills they can acquire. They should create a portfolio that is innovative and shows all their skills. A strong web presence is a must, preferably your own site (yourname.com). Keep it current by updating it often. Make it fun and interesting to encourage visits frequently. Always keep a sketchbook. It is the place where you can experiment and do not, I repeat, do not be afraid to "make mistakes". Many times the work you do that "goes against your grain" may be the very direction your work will take once your become familiar with it. Network with your peers and share information as well as exchange ideas and suggestions for them/from them. Be open to change and be aware of new technologies that are on the horizon. The speed at which new technologies are occurring is at mach speed. Don't find yourself behind the crowd. Who do you consider your peers? I consider every artist, whose work I find interesting, vital and compelling my peer, young or old. Do you feel more competitive with your male peers, or the same as with your female peers? I have never felt competitive. I don't say this in a naïve way. I realize that competition exists and it is an important part of growth. But that said, there is only one Barbara Nessim and there is only one of you. Every artist, if genuine, has a unique view. That personal view will set you apart and you and your work will be unique. If you attended ICON (either in San Francisco, or in Philly or Santa Fe), what did you take away from the conference? How will it affect your business? I attended the Santa Fe conference. I came away impressed with the level of friendliness, professionalism and concern that permeates our industry. It was fun to meet new people and be introduced to artists who's work I have admired. I felt honored to be a part of this vibrant community. What do you think the future holds for editorial and advertising illustration? Do you see new avenues developing for illustration? There is opportunity everywhere. One has to have a positive attitude and be open to exploring every avenue. Change is a given and if you continue to grow with it you will always land on your feet. The world will always need images and we are image-makers. As global perspectives come closer together everyday, and foreign language is a barrier to communication, pictures are a major form of communication and could help in our understanding of other cultures. Picture the wordless novel, for example. Everyone can "read" them. And, any comments on education (what is the ratio of female to male students, etc.)? An art education needs to cover many areas (as mentioned in a few previous answers to questions.) My advice to all students is to be curious, be open to learning new things, have fun and most of all, if you are having fun doing your work, there is a good chance it will be spectacular! Ratio of male/female students are about equal and sometimes veer slightly to the female side. |
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