Bradfords Animation Festival 2013

Once again the National Media Museum in Bradford opened its doors to talented artists for them to showcase their work. Not only was it BAF's 20th birthday, viewers also got a chance to view amateur artists, art students work and meet talented artists through talks and workshops. Luckily I got to attend a masterclass by Dave Mckean.

Mckean is said to be a "great renaissance artist for the contemporary era", but what exactly does that mean? Is it his versatile style? He is known his for varying pieces spanning from drawing, painting, sculpture, collage, photography... he has even written some of his own books and directed an original film called 'Luna'. It seems Mckean is unstoppable. He is highly skilled and to the onlooking eye he seems to have it easy, however he made it clear that it has been a challenge for him over the years as he grew himself as an artist and an individual. There is something about Mckean which should be admired. Not only is he talented in many areas, he is also open to try new ideas and grow in the different areas of art and design whilst other artists stick to what they're comfortable with. I believe he inspired many aspiring artists during his talk, along with inspiring myself. I realised that you don't instantly become a pro - rather you need to learn how to grow in that specialist area and overtime you will be rewarded. As they say, practice makes perfect.

(National Media Museum (2013) Bradford Animation Festival. [Online] Available: http://www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/bradfordanimationfestival [27/11/13]
National Media Museum (2013) Dave Mckean Masterclass. [Online] Available: http://www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/Events/BAF/2013/D/DaveMcKeanMasterclass.aspx [26/11/13])