Natalie Fitch is a Designer, Illustrator and Animator from Southern California currently working in London.
As a multidisciplinary Illustrator, She approaches each brief with fresh eyes, adapting her methods to what most appropriately fits the brief. Her strengths are in leadership, project management, research-led projects, and testing every possible solution to a design dilemma. She enjoys exploring a topic in-depth and allowing the experimentation to lead the outcome.
Her moving image piece, “copper memories” was the result of an investigation between the connections of her Polish-American immigrant identity and her mom’s copper collecting hobby. She uncovered symbolism between copper as a material and the American Dream. The material is rich and resilient. No matter how tarnished it is, it can be repolished and as good as new. This project was experimental in approach, working from drawings and manipulating them layered with photographs of her mom’s copper collection.
Her interests in Research through Illustration, and drawing as a tool of knowledge production have fueled her own research and exploration on the relationship between academia, science and the arts. Her dissertation, “The Evolution of Scientific Illustration: Redefining the Role of Illustration, its Relationship with Research. and Contemporary Uses of Visualising Science”, started with the question “Where does Contemporary Illustration Sit in terms of Visualizing Science?“ She investigated the exciting future of bringing Illustrators on in developmental phases of lab research projects. Exploring the benefits and insights this brings for both the scientist’s outcome and public engagement in science.
My mom has such a nostalgic relationship with copper. As the youngest of seven children she would hide away shiny copper pennies has her little treasures. It’s been such a joy to uncover the connections between her copper pan collecting and her childood.