Discourse Analysis

Pawel Kuczynski, 2012

This is an illustration by a Polish artist, Pawel Kuczynski, found on an online blog. It caught my attention because it comments on the influence of technology on creativity. It was made in 2012, the same year that Adobe released Creative Suite 6 which encompassed advanced tools and functions pushing the development of digital media. Kuczynski specialises in graphics and graduated from the Fine Arts Academy in Poznan, Poland. However, he has been producing satirical illustrations since 2004, making bold comments about modern day society which are relevant globally.

Kuczynski hand renders his illustrations using watercolour paints and pencil crayons which supports the underlying message of the piece as he has avoided digital media. Conversely, I found this image on an online blog so the first place I viewed it was on screen. As I began to research further into Kuczynski’s work, I realised it features on various blogs, alongside interviews he has had with various online publications and he uses Facebook to publicise his work. This is contradictory because using technology goes against the image’s argument, but it shows Kuczynski still has a certain reliance on the internet for self promotion and making his work widely accessible.

The image has a computer mouse in the foreground which has its wire connected to a chainsaw being held by a figure, presumably a lumberjack. There are two large scale paintbrushes being held by oversized hands and one of the paintbrushes is being cut into with the chainsaw. Stumps of paintbrushes can be seen in the distance but aside from this, the scene is desolate. The landscape is a blend of oranges and browns and the sky appears dark with a suggestion of cloud and mist. A speckled texture spans the sky and ground making the objects and figure seem more crisp and clear cut in comparison, enhancing the emptiness of the rest of the image. 

The computer mouse represents technology here, and the fact that it is powering a chainsaw being used destructively against a paintbrush (symbolic of creativity) shows that it is damaging creative skill. The scale of the paintbrushes initially suggests that they should be the dominant object but on closer inspection, they are shaded in dull colours implying weakness which contrasts to the red tint of the computer mouse which could be a subtle suggestion of danger. The loneliness of the man chopping down the paintbrush could be making a comment on how technology is isolating individuals in society.

The setting for this illustration is reminiscent of a surrealist painting, particularly the work of Salvador Dali. The desert-like, barren landscape is a common trait of his work representing a desolate, lonely place with no sign of life. This could be Kuczynski’s way of showing the future of the creative industry if technology is allowed to take over. This illustration also has a clear parallel to deforestation - if the paintbrushes are a metaphor for creativity, chopping them down shows that draughtsmanship and craft will diminish. It implies we are harming the creative industry, similar to how deforestation is damaging the planet.

The curve of the wire from the mouse is quite snake like which could potentially be a subtle metaphor of the story of the serpent and the first temptation, likening the computer mouse (representing technology) to evil and something that shouldn't be trusted.