Marcus Marritt, 2018, ‘Our Digital Self’, Digital Illustration

Identity is one of the oldest concepts, however identity is not the same thing as it was when it was first used to define ourselves. It has become something that has no barriers and is completely up to the person to decide what they consider their identity to be. One thing that makes this possible is the digital world and an artist who explores this is Marcus Marritt, in his digital illustration, ‘Our Digital Self’. He is an illustrator living and working in Glasgow, whose work focuses on a minimalistic approach and emphasising light and shadow. With Graphic and Interaction Design being my two disciplines, this shows the effect simplistic graphics and how the development of new digital products will allow us to alter our digital identity even further. I chose this image as it highlights the issue of if the evolution of our digital identities is truly an evolution or rather a crisis. The main issue being that one’s digital identity, constructed or not, will eventually start to affect the physical concept of one’s self. Marritt’s choice to remove all features in the silhouette shows the anonymity that a digital identity can provide. The composition of the image, with the face detached from the body, like a mask, similar to the façade people take on online. The colour palette could be considered misleading, mirroring some digital identities, as it suggests a feminine silhouette, but then again, your digital identity could be anyone. The contrast of the soft pinks with the dark shows the divide between the body and the identity coming from the screen. Marritt successfully presents his minimalistic illustration, while holding a series of questions beneath it.