In Black and White Day 1: Inaction = Silence

There is a time for color. And then there’s Picasso’s Guernica.

Especially on themes of war, of humanity, on human rights, and political struggle, black and white is often more powerful; a stark blatant expression. You can’t negotiate. Black and white offers very little subtlelty.

So I’ve set out a goal for myself (similar to the one that launched this blog). For the next 30 days I will post a new drawing each day. These drawings will be inspired by what I consider the greatest black and white political art.

There will be no words in the images. No labels or cartoonist crutches.

This first drawing was inspired by Kathe Kollwitz, who’s work I’ve long admired and could never hope of achieving her ability to communicate such raw emotion on paper. If you’ve never seen her work, take some time and familiarize yourself with her drawings. They’re beautifully tragic.

Foul Smell From Beijing More Than Olympic Pollution

This week’s Friday Drawing for a Reader, speaks directly to China’s human rights record on the eve of the 2008 Olympics, notably in reference to Darfur. Cooper’s blog, Darfur: An Unforgivable Hell on Earth, inspired the drawing.

While I understand China’s made progress on its Darfur stance, it continues its repression of human freedoms, notably political expression. This is a freedom you suddenly appreciate more fully when you realize you’re drawing something that in another country could get you imprisoned.

NOTE ABOUT THE DRAWING: The inspiration for this cartoon came from a Chinese propaganda poster.