American Stories: What is Illustration?

What is illustration? Many have called it narrative art, or art that tells a story. Over time, how it tells stories has evolved, but at its core, illustration is constantly in service of meaning. What makes illustration so interesting is that it is not solely an artform made from the perspective of one person - the artist, but rather its meaning is made by many individuals and factors. Beyond the artist, there are art directors, publishers, and editors that are involved in an image's creation. How the image is made also informs its meaning - the medium that is used, the method in which it is published and distributed, and so on. But there is yet one other facet to an illustration's meaning - the audience or consumer of the image. How they interpret an image drives meaning as well. All three elements create meaning, and what is incredible about illustration is that its meaning can change over time as its audience and the culture in which an illustration inhabits, changes as well.