Illuminated Atheist. This was the project I created for my Masters Thesis at the School of Visual Arts. The site illuminatedatheist.com was launched in May of 2010 as a place 'For Those Void of Religion and Full of Belief'.
Featured on Fast Forward and Good Magazine who said "People like Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris have tried to change people's minds about atheism but they do it with so little charity or compassion, it's no wonder they put people off. Luckhurst is on a much better track." The project received high praise from many, and also a very mixed reaction from much of the religious community. The highlight of which is when I was featured on a religious talk show. Listen here.
The project stems from my personal interests as an Atheist, and the lack of my vision reflected in the current visual aesthetics of it. Of particular interest was trying to better express a visual vocabulary to the world and subverting the idea of illuminated manuscripts for non-theists by socializing these ideas through a dedication to visual exploration.
The focus of the project was on developing a website that would host all the content and be the feature of the concept of the project. Non-theists by nature are not keen to refer to community, the website became the essential tool in expressing these ideas, without preaching to people that they need to be involved. The site was designed by myself and programmed by the genius that is Skylar Challand from idsgn.org.
The artwork for the site was created by Brennan Kelly, Drew Morrison and myself for the time being. I.A. will work with more artists as time progresses, but these illustrators have served to set the appropriate tone for the style of work to come in the near future. See the stories here.
Inspired by the ideas of Charles Darwin and the natural world, I have tried to express ideas of non-theism through the lens of human experience. Rather than focusing on my personal notions of the short falls of religion, I looked at those things which I hold dear and appreciate as I understand the world and hope to inspire others through this take of Atheism. Below is the pitch book I created that documents the entire process of creating a thesis project, documenting the process from inspiration, rationale and audience to finance and execution. The book is available through Blurb.
The visual representations of Illuminated Atheist span the realms of illustration, design, photography, video and motion. Below is a small piece I created extolling the virtues of one person's personal take on how they view the world. The ever talented and eloquent Dora Budor stepped in and told her story for it.
Directed by Matt Luckhurst. Stop Motion by Matt Luckhurst. Actress: Dora Budor
Beyond the site and its core content, it has also become essential to back it up with products and I.A. has allowed me to explore many different visual approaches. Below represent some products and posters created for the site.
If you would like to contribute to this ongoing exploration contact me at hello@illuminatedatheist.com and check out more about I.A. on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Vimeo.
Featured on Fast Forward and Good Magazine who said "People like Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris have tried to change people's minds about atheism but they do it with so little charity or compassion, it's no wonder they put people off. Luckhurst is on a much better track." The project received high praise from many, and also a very mixed reaction from much of the religious community. The highlight of which is when I was featured on a religious talk show. Listen here.
The project stems from my personal interests as an Atheist, and the lack of my vision reflected in the current visual aesthetics of it. Of particular interest was trying to better express a visual vocabulary to the world and subverting the idea of illuminated manuscripts for non-theists by socializing these ideas through a dedication to visual exploration.
The focus of the project was on developing a website that would host all the content and be the feature of the concept of the project. Non-theists by nature are not keen to refer to community, the website became the essential tool in expressing these ideas, without preaching to people that they need to be involved. The site was designed by myself and programmed by the genius that is Skylar Challand from idsgn.org.
The artwork for the site was created by Brennan Kelly, Drew Morrison and myself for the time being. I.A. will work with more artists as time progresses, but these illustrators have served to set the appropriate tone for the style of work to come in the near future. See the stories here.
Inspired by the ideas of Charles Darwin and the natural world, I have tried to express ideas of non-theism through the lens of human experience. Rather than focusing on my personal notions of the short falls of religion, I looked at those things which I hold dear and appreciate as I understand the world and hope to inspire others through this take of Atheism. Below is the pitch book I created that documents the entire process of creating a thesis project, documenting the process from inspiration, rationale and audience to finance and execution. The book is available through Blurb.
The visual representations of Illuminated Atheist span the realms of illustration, design, photography, video and motion. Below is a small piece I created extolling the virtues of one person's personal take on how they view the world. The ever talented and eloquent Dora Budor stepped in and told her story for it.
Directed by Matt Luckhurst. Stop Motion by Matt Luckhurst. Actress: Dora Budor
Beyond the site and its core content, it has also become essential to back it up with products and I.A. has allowed me to explore many different visual approaches. Below represent some products and posters created for the site.
If you would like to contribute to this ongoing exploration contact me at hello@illuminatedatheist.com and check out more about I.A. on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Vimeo.