Artist and political cartoonist Pat Oliphant has died, at the age of 90. His combination of artistic virtuosity and sharply pointed wit left him without equal.
This was his first work published after 9.11.2001. [edit] Its impact may be blunted with the intervening years, but it was a knockout at the time … for it was unique in that it looked inward, at the perils of our own actions, rather than outwards towards a (then) unknown assailant.
I immediately ordered a lithograph (#2 of 20) and it has graced my living room for 25 years.
The murderous abuses of ICE – and countless other violations, and even wars – bear witness to its prescience.
The sometimes exaggerated features of his many targets led some to accuse him of racism. I do remember times when I gasped out loud in shock over a particularly egregious trope.
But absolutely no one, and no group, was spared. All targets fell to his pen, and comfort was rarely offered to any. True art will always shock, and his was no exception. I have missed him ever since he retired. R.I.P., Pat.
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