Artist-activist Ben Shahn's work still retains it's power today. Economic line-work, strong and deliberate, but imbued with a fragility that fills his subjects with humanity. He constantly displayed a willingness to look upon many facets of the world with love, compassion, dignity, equality, playfulness and wonder, coupled with a determination to not shy away from depicting life on the other side of the coin. He spent the majority of his working life dedicated to this end, shedding light on the much-maligned, forgotten members of society: post-war veterans struggling to find work; people with mental illnesses locked up in institutions; victims of government oppression; all were dealt equal care and compassion by Shahn's inked-up pen and blotter. His strong socialist principles led him to only take on work with a personal or social significance, yet he remained commercially successful and managed to make art that resonated far beyond the galleries and art-director clubs.
The events of the past week and the realisation that a Trump presidency is the result of forgotten, marginalised Americans making their voices heard has led me to think we need artists like Ben Shahn more than ever.
Scans are from:
1 - 15 Image: A Quarterly of the Visual Arts, Autumn, 1949
16 - 19 Voices anthologies, Penguin Education, 1968
20 - 25 Prints & Posters of Ben Shahn, Dover, 1982
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