This afternoon, I’m writing a talk that I will give to university students in France in a few weeks. They have asked me to speak about the importance of art and cartoons in our world, in freedom of expression and journalism. It has me reflecting on the span of time in which I have worked, how to express the changes I have seen, not only in the world, but in the art form I love.
One artist I will tell them about is Ben Shahn. When I discovered his work in my teens, I was captivated with how he used line and brush to convey his passion for social justice. I share just a few images of his work here. Here is a recent article in The New Yorker; there was an exhibit of his work at the Jewish Museum in NYC (I missed it, sadly. It just closed today!). Shahn was a true activist in his art.
Passion of Sacco and Vanzetti drawing, 1958
French workers, 1942
The Supreme Court, 1963
1937
1946
1965
1965
Shahn wrote a book called The Shape of Content, which I read in my youth and still own. In it, Shahn writes of the relationship of the artist to his material, his craft, and society. It’s a lecture he gave in 1957, and he talks on creation of the work of ar
