Artist Spotlight #6: Eiselle Ty
San Francisco-based visual artist uses her knowledge of design and eye for creating attention-grabbing illustrations to make social justice issues accessible and approachable for everyone.
Eiselle is a designer and illustrator based in San Francisco, and raised in Los Angeles.
While her day job consists of telling stories through food packaging, after Blackout Tuesday, she began to use her design skills on Instagram to create social justice-focused posts, as an attempt to revive and expand the information that was buried by black squares that flooded Instagram on June 2, 2020.
Pixelated Revolution: In general, how would you describe your work and aim as an artist?
Eiselle: In general, first and foremost, I'm a designer because that's what I learned in school and that's my day job as well. But I think my role as an artist kind of emerged and manifested into all of a sudden, I’m very hyper aware of the fact that I'm a woman of color and an artist. I feel like that is definitely a driving factor in the art that I do, whether it be something that's representative of me as a brown person, or just me as an artist in general. I think that's definitely a stance for me as an artist, as a designer but I am also a representation of the minority in this field.
What issues do you care most about?
The main issue that I'm trying to address, or something that I really care about is common knowledge and common understanding, and I feel like it should be really, really accessible to everyone. Accessibility is a really, really big thing because a lot of people are spewing out information, but they're not making it consumable for other people. Empathy is a really, really big thing. It's not necessarily an issue, because I feel like, do I care about immigration rights? Yes. Do I care about, you know, equality within the workspace? Yes, of course. But, also, at the same time, the core value is understanding empathy, because if you want to participate in the discussion, you should be able to participate in the discussion.
What does Instagram bring to the table that other social media platforms do not?
Prior to the actual activism that I've been doing, I was just posting my designs because I just want the world to know that I am a woman of color and I'm making things. And that within itself is already the statement because I grew up with the notion that I shouldn't be doing the things that I'm doing.
I think the driving factor that like encouraged me to start doing what I'm doing is the fact that on Blackout Tuesday, a lot of people, in my personal opinion, missed the mark because I was one of those people who was trying to learn, and trying to consume and understand everything that was being given to me on social media. And I definitely got overwhelmed. But as soon as I saw Blackout Tuesday, just this instinct, this major feeling in me was just enraged and completely pissed off because I’m like, where did my resources go? And if the resources for me just got blacked out, then, how about all the other people in the world? And then, literally that day, I just stayed up the entire night because the designer in me was like, okay, how do I combat this issue at hand? And the issue at hand is definitely the improper usage of social media, because everyone was just seeing these black squares, and no one was actually doing anything useful.
I decided to do the complete opposite of Blackout Tuesday. I'm like, okay, if I have to re-learn all these things, how could I help my friends? And, at the time, I only had probably a thousand followers. But I kept thinking, how can I make an archive, and how can I make this actually really, really helpful for other people to consume? Because, like what I said before, it was very — it still is — very overwhelming because it's just information overload.
And I think that is a good thing and a bad thing about Instagram, and people's use of it right now. Especially right now, dealing with activism and social justice, because it makes everything accessible, but there's so much information. And knowing the way that people's minds work, and their ability to obtain information, I just thought, I'm going to use my platform in such a way that I would want someone to explain things to me.
I think Instagram is being used specifically for this kind of stuff because it's so accessible and because it's such a universal thing. And the scary and cool part about Instagram is that you put something out, and it could be released so quickly, and you don't know who it's going to spread to, which is why I'm very cautious and very careful about the stuff I post. But, also, over the past couple of months, I have become much a more conscious person, and the way that I do things. I definitely feel like I've become a better artist because I have gained that empathy, but I've also become a better designer.
Do you have any artistic inspirations? And, if so, how do they show up in your activist-driven work?
The really funny thing is that I was talking to someone, and they're like, yeah, what was the inspiration over your post? And I was just like, I'm a very neurotic person, and my entire closet and all my pants are color-coded, and I just like things in its place. But then I also realized that my day job is that I’m a food packaging illustrator and restaurant re-brander. It's just like food packaging. I'm kind of like, okay, let's imagine if social media or the world of Instagram is a store. You have like 3.5 seconds to catch people's attention. And it's not exactly an artistic inspiration, but I'm like, whoa, my work is now all of a sudden in my head and it's a subconscious thing.
And when I said that out loud, I'm like, is that my inspiration? Food packaging? But it kind of makes sense. If you go to the cereal aisle, what's going to catch your attention? And I feel like it also helps out Instagram, and the people who are most vocal about all the issues at hand are people relatively my age, where you kind of just know what would work and what wouldn't work. And it becomes almost instinctual. You know what is going to catch people's eyes. I think just a really heavy, design background is a thing that inspires me, and just the actual functionality of design.
How would you describe the aesthetic of your work?
I don't use very in your face, like it's colorful, but it's not too colorful. And I think it's thinking about how to make things very, very approachable because politics and activism, just as a whole, is an intimidating topic. And not everyone wants to talk about it, even me personally, it's kind of intimidating because I didn't want to come off as like a dumb ass or anything like that., which is why I kind of did it put it off. I was just very, very silent, up until this point. But then I'm like, okay, I procrastinated for so long in participating in the conversation, just because it was intimidating. Because I just felt like everyone was yelling at one another. I was kind of one of those people where I'm like, everyone's yelling. This is a very hostile environment and I don't feel safe.
So the reasons why I chose the colors that I did, and they're not like neon or they're not like millennial pinks, or anything like that is because I feel like there has to be something that's friendly and also kind of calming, but also not hard to look at. It's kind of like a friend who is willing to just talk to you, and they're not wearing scary reds. And I just don't believe in using Sans Serif fonts because Sans Serif fonts are kind of intimidating, and they even tell you in college to not use Time News Roman for your resume, you know. It's just the psychology of design.
What is your process like for gathering the information for your posts?
I think, in the very beginning, there were these key terms just popping up over and over again. So it started off with that. And then, that eventually led to me asking so many questions. I'm the type of person who reads a book, and if I see a word I don't understand, I'm going to look it up. And I feel like the really cool thing is that if you scroll all the way to the bottom [on Instagram], you see the evolution of information because it's going upwards. And I feel like that's definitely how people learn things, where you take things in bits, and then you dive deeper and deeper, and then all of a sudden posts become more and more in depth.
So my actual process right now is I just keep up with media. But, right now, I'm kind of burnt out low-key. So I've just been reading and listening to podcasts, and if there is something that doesn't relate to me, I'm going to continue to see if I just don't know about it, because I don't really post things that are relevant right now. I don't do that because just because it's not relevant to me, doesn't mean it's not relevant to someone else. I even go into my inbox sometimes, and see if people are like, can you explain this to me? Explain that. But I also like to revisit other terms and concepts, especially as someone who didn't study this for school. I try to revisit things and correct myself, and make sure that I'm putting out the right information. But the actual process is I stick to my computer, and I just do so much research, and then I also fact check. But, then, Instagram is also like a wormhole too, where you could see how other people are phrasing this, like what are they missing, or anything like that.
So it's kind of building on something, and looking at other people, and seeing how they're doing it, and then seeing what's missing. It's kind of just filling gaps and fixing holes, that sort of thing. And I think the process too is trying to take really big concepts, and trying to simplify them down for people who like me, just want to know because I just want to understand the concept, and for it to be very straightforward. Because as soon as you get too much in depth, my eyes are just going to glaze, and it's going to go right over the head.
What impression or impact do you hope your work leaves its audience?
It's really funny because I personally like to say that I'm allergic to clout. I didn't realize how important privacy is, and now I'm like, oh my goodness. I'm already a somewhat anxious person. But I think the impression that I want is don't procrastinate if you want to learn about something, because, in reality, now there's no excuse. I think that's an impression because if people want to be ignorant, like that's a choice. That's a personal choice. Because if I post something super simple, if they're already on their phone, you literally have the world's information at your fingertips. I think the impression that I hope to give to people through these posts is accountability, because Instagram and the use of social media is kind of second nature for a lot of people. And I think another thing is it's not intimidating. I feel like people think of new or foreign concepts to them as intimidating because they don't give it a chance. That's what I'm trying to do, using art and design as a way to encourage them to realize that it doesn't have to be intimidating, and it doesn't have to be something that you just push aside just because you don't know it, and because it's an uncomfortable thing of realizing that you don't know something. It shouldn't be uncomfortable because you're low key just making it kind of uncomfortable in your head.
Do you have a favorite post or posts that you've made on Instagram?
The one I definitely got a kicker out of was me just literally saying wear a damn mask. I was so surprised, the backlash that I got from that one post. It just blows my mind to read comments because, literally, just wear a damn mask. COVID is a thing. And people are like, COVID is not a thing. It's literally the law to wear a mask. And people are like “Trump 2020,” and kind of like this is coming out of nowhere. Stop projecting your feelings on this pink, very friendly post.
What feedback have you received for your work, and have you seen your work make an impact outside of Instagram?
I think it comes in like three parts where it's really positive feedback, and are the only reason why I continued to do the things that I've been doing. Realizing that people are super encouraging and super kind and super nice. But, all of a sudden, on the opposite end of that spectrum are people who are just not the nicest people. So that's another type of feedback, but I feel like anyone who's participating, specifically with social media and activism, there are obviously going to be trolls. But that feedback is also really interesting. I feel it almost holds as much importance as the positive feedback, because I think someone told me that you're doing something right if people are hating on you. And it's not necessarily the people hating me, but it's just people who are on the other side gives me a lot of perspective that San Francisco is in California, and it's already such a bubble. So it's definitely like a reality check. And then the other feedback is right in the middle. People are suggesting ways to improve the platform, bringing ways to improve my page, which I like to take into consideration. But, at the same time, I'm like, okay, I'm literally not an organization. I am doing this all on myself, and I have a day job along with freelancing because your girl's got to pay rent.
Outside of Instagram, I would say the impact of my work is meeting new people. And, I think, this is probably the most important thing to me in regards to the work that I'm doing, is that I got so much closer to my sisters because every single post [I made] also entered into a conversation in our group chat. And I don't see them all the time because they're down in LA, but I remember we had this huge discussion in our group chat about intergenerational trauma. It's definitely improving my relationships with my sisters, which was essentially not really a thing. All of a sudden, I understand my own blood in a very, very different way.
What do you think is your responsibility as a digital artist in the age of social media?
My utilization of social media is that I'm not here to talk down to people. I'm here to just converse with people. I feel like that's definitely my responsibility because there are people out there who are still smarter than me, who can actually lead you in the right direction. I feel like my role right now on this platform is to just get the conversation going.
I think that's definitely a responsibility for digital artists right now, is their responsibility to get the conversation going, and do it responsibly. I think it's digital artists' responsibility for them to realize that every single thing that they post now will literally cause conversation. They have to realize that they're just the curators of conversation. For me, personally, they shouldn’t be like, you should believe this. You should believe that. The only reason why I'm learning the things that I am, and the reason why I'm able to talk about this stuff is because I'm just learning, and I'm starting to hold my own opinion. I'm not one to tell people, you should believe in this, you should believe in that because I feel like people are very smart, and if you're a grown ass adult, you should be able to interpret the world the way that you want it, because then it'll actually mean something.
What are your thoughts on the relationship of art, activism, and social media, and how it’s going to evolve in the future?
I think Instagram now is definitely going to be a tool for resources. I think Instagram is definitely turning into a one-stop shop, which is an entirely different conversation because they're starting to monopolize over all social media. The fact that people are using Instagram to organize events, spread information, learn information, post tutorials, I definitely feel like it's gonna turn into like a hub where, you know, it's going to be like Google, which is kind of scary for me. I'm going to call it!
Do you have any, ongoing or upcoming projects you'd like to share?
I'm super stoked because I'm actually doing a collaboration with this New York-based sex toy company, and they're all like women and LGBTQIA+. I'm really excited because it's a huge thing, because I grew up kind of looking the other way from self pleasure, like women's pleasure, and just that type of stuff. But it's a very empowering thing and it's a company called Unbound. And they're so dope and they're super cool.
Are there any activist driven resources, events, initiatives you want to share?
Quinten (@futurafreedesign) is awesome. Him and another designer Dom decided to collaborate, and I think they made The Uncomfortable, where they do podcasts. They're fantastic. I will forever stan for them and support them fully. And I have only talked to them very briefly, but in seeing the work that they do, I'm like, they're really doing the damn thing. I definitely encourage anyone to listen to The Uncomfortable.
Do you have a Venmo, or any links, where we can donate or support your work?
I have my Venmo account linked up to my drink account. Well, it started out as a joke, and my Venmo has always been on that account. And then things started exploding, people were like "Here, for a drink!" I'm like, okay, this is way out of control and too much money. I'm just going to take this money and donate it because y'all are really nice, but I'm going to donate it. But my drink account is my way of being like yeah, I'm human too. Like, please, I need some sense of like personality in my life right now.
Any parting thoughts?
A parting thought to anyone who is deciding to be a designer, this is a question that I get a lot. It's kind of like, oh, what application do you use? But, for me, I acknowledge the fact that I use Illustrator. Not everyone has access to Illustrator. But I just encourage people to be super resourceful, and realize that if they want to do a thing, they can do the damn thing. If you want to learn about something, then learn it. If you want to do something, then do it. And that's either creating something or that's learning something.
To support Eiselle, you can follow her main Instagram, and her account dedicated to drinks.
Pixelated Revolution is a bi-weekly newsletter that features the graphic designers and illustrators of color behind some of the most engaging and viral activist-driven graphics on social media that touches upon issues of systemic oppression, race, gender, and sexuality politics.
The newsletter is created and edited by Margaret Guzman, an arts and culture journalist and documentary filmmaker based in New York City.
For activist-minded artists who want to be featured, we would love to interview you. Just email me at mmg591@nyu.edu
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