Bridget Irving
Telford, UK
I am an animal advocate and artist-illustrator with a special interest in ecolinguistics and how that manifests within visual communication. I am particularly curious about the role of the illustrator and how illustration contributes to the persistence of existing beliefs that are detrimental to animals. I work in often simple lines, ink, and wash and I have published an illustrated children’s picture book called Little Red Hat that speaks for the wolf, the environment, and children.
I have an MA (Distinction) in Visual Communication (2021) and through academic study I have investigated illustration within a Western society with regard to animals, stereotyping, and the repetition of an ideology of anthropocentrism. I have come to see that what we think about animals is taught to us; culture teaches us about our society’s relationship with animals. We can change that, and it is my aim to challenge how we think and what we say about animals in art. I am driven to raise awareness about the suffering of animals under human dominance and to join the voices working toward ending that oppression. How we treat animals impacts nature and humanity, and I am passionate about how we can repair our place within it all.
Bridget is available for commissions.
