Essays: Simone Lia Report

Introduction

From my Visual Analysis essay: Anthropomorphism is the humanising and/or the personification of gods, animals or objects.

Simone Lia's work depicts every day existence in the comic format frequently using anthropomorphism.

After leaving Brighton University, she was intending to follow a career as an illustrator(1). However, when this did not pan out for her; she spent some time clearing tables at Gatwick Airport(2); Lia decided to continue her studies further at the Royal College of Art. At the RCA she met Tom Gauld, who awakened her to the possibilities of comics as an expressive art form, something, although she liked them, had not considered as a path for her own illustration(3).

During a live Skype interview with second year Illustration BA Hons students at University of Gloucestershire (23rd October 2014), Lia discussed the choice to self publish with Gauld, and set up Cabanon Press, giving her the freedom of authorship.

Fluffy

Fluffy, her first graphic novel; self published with Cabanon Press between 2003-2005, in four parts; to spread the cost (4); and subsequently published by Jonathan Cape 2007; tells the touching tale of a young bunny, Fluffy, and her human owner, Michael, who she thinks is her daddy. It is humorous and sensitive(5).

'Fluffy' a graphic novel, a story of a bunny in denial. (6)

Simone Lia: "Fluffy" 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007

Simone Lia: "Fluffy" 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007

Lia's pages are innovative and varied, giving us long shots, freeze-frames, tense pauses (not an easy thing to draw).(7)

Sensitive Subjects

As well as exploring human frailties, Lia likes to explore sensitive and controversial subjects in her works, such as domestic violence(8). Lia interviewed...

...parents, grand parents, barristers working in the family courts, a social worker and an MP...(9)

...for this personal project about forced adoption:

It’s a controversial and emotive subject and one that has not had too much attention in the media, for the protection of the children the process is shrouded in secrecy. My desire was that by using comic art I would be able to give all of those involved a voice by changing their identities in the drawing. (10)

Simone Lia: Forced Adoption - Personal Project "Bad Mother" 2013

Laying herself bare with her next graphic novel, Please God find me a Husband, was a risk she was prepared to take in order to develop her interest in...

...exploring how to draw unusual relationships (11).

One of the difficulties she faced was

...how to communicate with someone who doesn't believe in God?(12).

Her solution: to do it without explanation. The story is autobiographical, following being dumped by her boyfriend via email, she felt the need to have

...an adventure with God...(40sec Interview with Simone Lia YouTube)

It takes the reader on a meandering spiritual and physical journey, along the way staying in a convent and travelling to Australia in what Lia describes as an erratic fashion(13).

In a review of the book, Rachel Cook of the Guardian suggests that the reasons Lia has succeeded with the story is that it's witty and curious without being too righteous or crazy(14).

Simone Lia "Please God find me a Husband"

Lia draws most of her inspiration for her short strips from eavesdropping. She carries a notebook and writes everything down to use later when drawing. It is mundane daily occurrences, such as dialogs on a bus trips(15). She chooses to depict these with inanimate anthropomorphised characters such as Chip and Bean, Sausage and Carrots.

Simone Lia: 'Shepherd Chip and Shepherd Bean'. A story commissioned by the Guardian on the theme of Christmas, 2006.

Simone Lia: 'Sausage and Carrot' selected weekly strips for The DFC.

Since pursuing her career in comics Lia has had commissioned work from the Tate Modern, where she also exhibited, and has commissions from the Guardian and Independent newspapers and advertising work form Transport for London(16), to name but a few.

Simone Lia: Commissioned by the Tate Britain. Images 1 and 2 for inclusion in 'Rude Britannia', 2010.

Simone Lia: Good Fruit Bad Fruit painting 2012

Simone Lia: Worm Harmony painting 2012

Simone Lia: Various Trees

Footnotes

1. para. 4. http://www.theguardian.com/books/2007/feb/14/fiction.laurabarton

2. para. 5. http://www.theguardian.com/books/2007/feb/14/fiction.laurabarton

3. 5min 35sec interview with Simone Lia YouTube
4. Live Skype Interview University of Gloucestershire 23rd October 2014
5. para. 2. http://www.theguardian.com/books/2007/feb/14/fiction.laurabarton
6. Lia, Simone Website Portfolio/Fluffy: http://www.simonelia.com/portfolio/fluffy/
7. para. 3. O'Grady, Carrie. Fluffy Book Review, The Guardian 10 February 2007: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2007/feb/10/featuresreviews.guardianreview18
8. Lia, Simone Website blog: http://www.simonelia.com
9. Lia, Simone Website blog: http://www.simonelia.com
10. Lia, Simone Website blog: http://www.simonelia.com
11. 1min 55secs Interview with Simone Lia - YouTube
12. 3min 04secs Interview with Simone Lia - YouTube
13. 57secs Interview with Simone Lia - YouTube
14. para. 2. Cooke, Rachel. Please God find me a Husband! by Simone Lia - Review: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/mar/25/please-god-simone-lia-review
15. Live Skype Interview University of Gloucestershire 23rd October 2014
16. Lia, Simone Website Portfolio: http://www.simonelia.com/portfolio/