Tightly composed images of complex subjects by illustrator Shout

Date
1 June 2016

Born Alessandro Gottardo, Shout is an Italian illustrator whose work in advertising, editorial and cover design for a plethora of top tier publications and global brands demonstrates a eye for elucidating the principal message of a story or brief with the most uncluttered and minimalistic appeal.

His work is often devoid of people or depicts isolated individuals cast in muted colours and negative space, such is the artist’s mindset: “I do not like traffic, I do not like busy places, I do not like crowds… I do like plain landscapes.” An American Town for Middlebury Magazine sees the solitary figure of William Petit at home in a green suburban landscape; the work becomes especially poignant as you realise the subject is the sole survivor of the Connecticut home invasion murders, and evokes a sense of comforting isolation and melancholic peace despite the tragedy.

Shout’s concerns are firmly with the story, advocating substance over stylistic concerns: “A mentor and friend, Guido Scarabottolo, told me once: ‘draw with your head not with your hand…’ the message is the core.” An illustration, and animation, for The New York Times reimagines the work of Magritte rained on by oil, questioning the role oil companies have in funding exhibitions at major art galleries and museums. Shout is concerned much less with telling the story in its entirety than capturing and reinforcing the main emotional thrust of the argument at hand.

Frequently commissioned to illustrate global issues or op-ed pieces, on a rapid 24-hour turnaround for the likes of The New York Times or Entertainment Weekly, Shout condenses and filters complex subjects into tightly composed images. For Transition, the illustrator translates gendered and transgender imagery into a domestic setting to drive the notion of social change in the media and home across: the wallpaper emblazoned behind the image of a vintage television.

Shout makes use of this aesthetic as the illustrator behind Colman’s current print media campaign, imaginatively picturing Colman’s condiments subtly anthropomorphised in emergency situations, in response to the “rescuing the bland” tagline, standing out amongst profusion of graphics and photography heavy media campaigns, with the absolute modicum of words, lines or clutter.

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Shout: Sleep for Die Zeit

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Shout: An American Town for Middlebury Magazine

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Shout: An American Town for Middlebury Magazine

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Shout: Transition for Entertainment Weekly

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Shout: Unilever, Colman’s Campaign for Adam & Eve DDB

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Shout: Unilever, Colman’s Campaign for Adam & Eve DDB

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Shout: Unilever, Colman’s Campaign for Adam & Eve DDB

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About the Author

Jamie Green

Jamie joined It’s Nice That back in May 2016 as an editorial assistant. And, after a seven-year sojourn away planning advertising campaigns for the likes of The LEGO Group and Converse, he came back to look after New Business & Partnerships here at It’s Nice That. Get in touch with him to discuss new business opportunities, and how we can work together on creative partnerships, insights, experiences or advertising.

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