Atelier Bingo

I knew about the work of Atelier Bingo beforehand, and thought, due to the abstract nature of their images, would be suitable to analyse in my essay. Reading an interview about their work, however, I found that they have made direct reference to artists of movements such as Cubism, Fauvism and Abstract Expressionism to have had influence on their work - stating Matisse was a ‘big inspiration for us –his colours, compositions and shapes’, also referring to work of others such as Picasso and Robert Motherwell. 

I also think you could draw many similarities between the work of Atelier Bingo and Abstract Expressionism - their illustrations being non-representational, often lacking a sense of subject matter and using geometric or highly simplified forms. One could also draw similarities between their emphasis on process – using screen-printing to build up layers and colours – and the painting techniques of Jackson Pollock – both focusing on an immersion in process and an unpredictability of the final result. 

However, does Atelier Bingo's work communicate anything? Their work may lend itself to the practice of pure abstraction and expression because it is seen in very non-communicative contexts of illustration such as textiles and paper products. Therefore do their links to abstract art movements demonstrate an influence on visual communication in illustration, or simply a similarity in their practical methods of making? 

Khemsurov, M. (2015). French Illustration Duo Atelier Bingo. Available: http://www.sightunseen.com/2015/03/french-illustration-duo-atelier-bingo/. Last accessed 19/04/17.