Written by: Jared Majeski, Historic Resources Management Branch
Look hard enough, and you can find artistic expression in many different occupations. The stone mason cutting and preparing a stone feature; a researcher distilling their raw data into a visually appealing infographic; or in the case of archaeologist Amanda J.M. Dow (B.A. Archaeology, University of Calgary), using pencils to represent archaeological research through illustrations. Whether you categorize it as art or archaeology, Dow’s illustrations help to put faces to names and context to places.
The following interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity. All images and illustrations below are courtesy of Amanda Dow.
Where do science and art meet and is there ever an uncomfortable junction?
Dow: There is always a strange dance between art and science. It can be awkward and challenging but for the dance to work, there has to be a reciprocal understanding from both disciplines. I like to use the word “illustration” to help lend my artwork scientific credibility. I use the results of archaeology and research to make the art academic. But in the end, the illustration is just one person’s interpretation of an event. What lends it credence is what informs the interpretation. And if that information is scientific, then that weird dance can work.
Archaeologists tend to communicate in dry and what feels like uninteresting ways because that’s what they’re trained to do. What do you think of traditional archaeological reports, articles and books? Does this make you try to depict the past in more interesting ways?
Dow: There are different ways results of archaeological study are communicated. In Alberta, the vast majority of archaeological study are presented as technical reports. That’s my day job, as a consulting archaeologist and I contribute to this type of “grey” literature presenting data without excessive interpretation. Technical reports are defined by budget, schedule and scope. It’s always a challenge to present data within those limitations without being too boring.
The opportunity to share more interpretation and provide people with more elaboration comes from other forms of communication. This is where archaeologists have an opportunity to collect from the technical literature all the glamorous bits and create an interpretation the science supports. This is where articles and books, presentations and alternative media are serving a greater public role. And this is where I try to make artistic contributions.
What’s the most satisfying part of your job as an illustrator?
Being able to share a concept that makes someone pause for a moment to appreciate the genius of our ancestors. I like taking an archaeological or historical record and putting a face on it. I like tweaking imaginations.
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