PILOT: Melbourne Polytech

Elkin Wittenberg, The Black Spot

PILOT

Bachelor of Illustration Graduate Exhibition

4 - 16 November

Artists include: Andy Gregg, Emily Easthope, Emmanuel Josephine Darbishire, Kristie Mott, Lindsay Crawford, Rosalina Zerecero Velazquez, Tom Boxall, Zaza Tran, Elkin Wittenberg

Illustration has long been prominent among Melbourne Polytechnic’s art courses, and as a degree, the current program continues that long tradition. Cultural and technological change have reshaped the visual culture landscape this century, and while the Bachelor of Illustration embraces all avenues of visual creativity, individual perception and understanding underpin ingenuity.

For the Illustration Degree graduates, this exhibition is the culmination of their degree, three years of concerted creative thinking and work. The show comprises imaginative and authorial imagery, storytelling, and a collection of creative work that befits a competitive and transforming industry.

One may ask, what is illustration in 2025? It has a long and notable history. It has served publishing and commercial interests, satirised issues and imparted messages. But today it is much more than just a time-honoured craft. It is a ubiquitous and imaginative communicator, a medium for storytelling, an intrinsic visual component of public statement and exchange, and the voice of authorial artists.

The Melbourne Polytechnic Bachelor of Illustration Graduate Show, Pilot, exemplifies contemporary illustration. It showcases a breadth of ideas and visual manifestations that can be applied to a diverse creative arts industry. This collection of student creativity is also representative of a cultural product that can express personal views and contribute to immediate and everyday conversation.