Staying Creative with Art Comp 2021 Winner Cameron Butterworth

This week we chat with Camberwell based Graphic Designer Cameron Butterworth about his process, background and the work behind his winning submission. Check out our interview below and give him a follow on IG here.

First of all congratulations on being one of the winners of this year's Art Comp! Can you tell us a bit about your journey?

Since I was sixteen, I’ve been collecting archive magazines and have always had a fascination for editorial and imagery. Throughout studying my A levels, I really started to explore the placement of imagery and the effectiveness it can have with propelling ideas. Ever since then I began to work with a lot of archived imagery as well as new within my designs and explore this supposedly limited subject bringing me to the place, I’m at now where I’m currently in my final year studying Graphic Design at Camberwell College of Arts.  

Any artists that have been influential to your work?

John Stezaker has been a huge influence throughout my studies and work as he focuses on the concept of portraiture. Using publicity shots of classic film stars he splices and overlaps famous faces, creating hybrid ‘icons’ that dissociate the familiar to create sensations of the uncanny.  This was something in which I replicated within my submissions this year for the Art Comp.

 But I would say my biggest influences are all the magazines in which I’ve collected over the years as I take a lot of inspiration from them, pushing my editorial and image design to the best it can be. I also feel this has a big influence on my choice of composition, style of imagery and effects within my work.    

Any favourite themes/points of exploration?

The main themes and exploration within my work are based on the communication and unique power an image has and how it is only a fragmentation of reality, exploring the endless possibilities of imagery and looking beyond what isn’t being seen.

Can you tell us about your submissions to the 2021 SCRT Art Comp?

The designs in which I submitted were created around the theme of objectification, which are explored through the medium of collage and photomontage creating a series to show the sinister of sexualising women by displaying how the body is objectified within society.  I wanted the designs to have an uncomfortable and sinister feel, all the imagery I used was from archived pornographic magazines as I felt it would correlate well with the concept. When thinking about the adjustments of colour saturation within the images I wanted something in which was bold and stood out yet kept the archive feel.

Favourite piece of yours?

I’ve been currently working on a project, which I’ve just recently finished and it’s a newspaper in which I have displayed in an abstract form this being a mix of the characteristics and print form of a traditional newspaper however having things in that are more magazine editorial style.

Any advice for upcoming creatives?

Keep pushing your designs and don’t stop designing! Always set yourself personal projects to make your portfolio the best it can be.

Finally, any dream client/collab?

Paria /FARZANEH – I absolutely love their style and all their work.

Cheers Cameron!