A Machine Illustrator

In a 1991 edition of Robert Hughes’ ‘Shock of the New’ he focuses on the technological landscape of the early 20th century as cubism began to emerge. I found it really interesting, specifically one sentence of his which I am trying to understand in the context of my own practice:

”How could you produce a parallel dynamism to the machine age without falling into the elementary trap of just becoming a machine illustrator?”

Anyone else think there might be some potential in this idea? I mean what even is a machine illustrator?

User: Anonymous
14 May 2024