REDMAN: Can you introduce the development path of your cartoon? As a world-renowned cartoonist and creator of humor, please briefly review your journey in cartoon art.
IZABELA:My adventure with cartoons began after over thirty years of illustrating fairy tales and poems for children. In 2013 I decided to test myself in another field of art. My first Grand Prix won in the Polish cartoon contest Tuba Satirica in 2014 and the Golden Olive awarded to me in the same year in an international contest in Cyprus gave me hope that I had chosen correctly. Everything that has happened to me in recent 12 years, so awards, interviews, publications, online galleries, meetings with the masters of caricature in the real world and the opportunity to exchange opinions and cartoons with many friends artists on Facebook, confirmed that was a good decision. Finally I found my favorite art activity, which gives me a lot of satisfaction.
REDMAN: Where were you born?
IZABELA:I was born almost 70 years ago in beautiful Toruń on the Vistula River in Poland. My city is famous for its Gothic city center, traditional gingerbread and as the birthplace of the famous astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus.
REDMAN: What was your childhood like? Are there any events related to art?
IZABELA:I grew up in an artistic environment; my parents were visual artists, as were their friends, so, along with other "bohemian" children, I participated in the artistic life of Toruń from an early age.
REDMAN: When did you start drawing?
IZABELA:I have been drawing since I can remember. To my mother's horror, my favorite activity was "correcting" simplified and devoid of detail illustrations in children's books and not only, which somewhat devastated my parents' library collection. In order to save his precious books, my desperate father hung a blackboard in the children's room. So, my preschool age falls on the chalk era. Everything was in white powder.
REDMAN: Have you ever studied at an art school?
IZABELA:I studied painting, graphics and sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Wroclaw, Poland.
I graduated in 1980 with a diploma in graphic design and a Master of Arts degree.
REDMAN: Did you start creating cartoon at that time?
IZABELA:At the Academy we didn't have the basics of illustration , comic or cartoon. However, my very wise professor of painting, Stanislaw Rodziński, said that I would be an illustrator because my paintings were narrative. His valuable comments helped me enter the world of illustration. I was lucky.
REDMAN: We would like to know when you decided to become an artist? Is your family full of artistic atmosphere?
IZABELA:As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a book illustrator. My dream came true when I won the main prize in a competition for illustrations for children's poetry and received a lot of offers from various publishing houses. When I decided to give up illustrating and become a cartoonist, I realized that this is my destiny. The atmosphere in my home was always filled with art, because my husband was painter, my daughter Alicja earned a doctorate in painting and is interested in many fields of art, and most of our friends visiting us are also artists.
REDMAN: What do your family and friends think of your choice to "make a living through art"? To what extent do they support you?
IZABELA:Because my family and friends are artists, we have always supported each other.
REDMAN: What is your family background?
IZABELA:My parents were visual artists who graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, so I grew up with my brother, now a famous painter, in a house full of brushes, easels, paints, papers and books, which had a significant influence on our subsequent choices of life path. In addition to the strict rules instilled in us by my mother, our home had a warm atmosphere of understanding for the individual needs of each of us and conducive to artistic work.
REDMAN: We understand that you drew many picture books when you were young and worked for a publishing house. When did you start creating international cartoon works? Did any special issues or events ignite your inspiration and start a new creative path?
IZABELA:12 years ago, a bit tired of being pigeonholed as a cartoonist for children's books and struggling with publishers and writers I decided to test myself in a field of art that would give me more freedom of action and make me independent of not always honest employers. I chose cartoons. The main awards I won in my first cartoon contests, positive opinions of famous fellow artists and critics from many countries, convinced me that my choice was right. I decided to continue my adventure with cartoons, which over time turned into a passion.
REDMAN: What do you think is the difference between creating picture books and cartoon works?
IZABELA:Both picture books and cartoons are a challeng. Despite many similarities resulting from the use of the same tools and means of artistic expression, working on them is fundamentally different. Images in children's books must correspond to the content and be understandable to the young recipient. Children are insightful, very demanding recipients, sensitive to falsehoods and inaccuracies in the message. Cartoons are an independent entity. Their creator is responsible for the content and form. The role of cartoons is to interest a given issue in the widest possible range of people, so they should contain a strong, poster-like message that, supported by grotesque, satire or humor, can be remembered by everyone.
REDMAN: What is on your mind when you are painting?
IZABELA:When I take up a topic that interests me or plan to participate in a cartoon contest, I spend most of my time on the idea. Then I think about what stylistic and artistic means to use to make the message clear and attention-grabbing.
REDMAN: There is no text in your work. Do you oppose the use of text? Do you think there is always a way to convey information or ideas purely from images?
IZABELA:I do not use text in my works, but I am not against weaving words into cartoons. Sometimes it is even necessary for the clarity of the message. There are many great humorous and satirical drawings that would be incomprehensible without captions or speech bubbles. However, I believe that cartoons without words have a much greater chance of reaching the farthest corners of the world with their message. This is especially important when cartoons play an important informational and supporting role during human tragedies, natural disasters, catastrophes, wars, or plagues. In such situations, universally understandable humor and satire are a kind of safety valve that releases social tensions and protects against frustration and depression. In addition, works without words have a greater chance of winning in international cartoon contests.
REDMAN: I noticed that your works have a fairy tale feel, with each piece telling a story. Generally speaking, do you feel closer to a writer or a painter?
IZABELA:I am somewhere in between. In my illustrations I often wove witty situations and characters into classic fairy tales. Now I invite famous fairy tale characters into the world of my cartoons. I create specific hybrids that combine satirical drawings with elements from books for children. By introducing fairy tales into the world of humor and satire, I do not take away the power of the message, but soften it. The image becomes more accessible to sensitive people and more interesting for the youngest recipients.
REDMAN: What artists or works have influenced you in the process of forming your unique style? You can give an example, for example, show the two or three works that you think have had the greatest impact on you to everyone.
IZABELA:I love the illustrators of my childhood - Jan Marcin Szancer and Jan Grabiański (I did not correct the illustrations of these masters). During my studies, I was fascinated by Otto Reizinger from Croatia. It was under the influence of his works, after years of illustrating I chose caroons. I appreciate many painters, with Olga Boznańska, Hieronymus Bosch and Francisco Goya, whom I consider the forerunner of contemporary cartoons.
Jan Marcin Szancer 1902- 1973
