Have you ever seen sections of the funny papers in museums? I can’t say I have, well cartoonist Art Spiegelman once again has an opportunity to do so. The article I have read tells of how a collection of his art is now being shown on display at the Jewish Museum. Also of Spiegelman’s long career of drawing, publishing and editing. His work is intertwined with the emotions and lessons he has learned in his life. Now everyone has the opportunity to mull over his work in great detail.
This is not the first time Spiegelman has had his work on display. In 1991 he had a solo at the Museum of Art. The showing exhibition contained only one work, Spiegelman’s book length pictorial narrative “Maus”. This graphic novel depicts an interview Spiegelman has with his father about experiences as a Polish Jew and Holocaust survivor. These factual accounts paint Polish Jews as mice and Germans as cats. It is a very interesting spin to a very serious and horrible event. In 1992 it was the first graphic novel to win a Pulitzer Prize.
Spiegelman has produced about a half centuries worth of art. In the show you it is clear the he has never stuck to one type of style. Each section on display emphasizes a different visual and mental theme. Even from an early age Spiegelman showed skill in comics. He was born in Sweden in 1948, to two World War II Holocaust survivors. He grew up in Queens, New York and drew his first comic strip the “Loonies” when he was 12 years old. He sold his first drawing to a newspaper at age 17.
In his professional career Spiegelman worked with MAD magazine and ZAP Comix. In his early work he drew much of his style and inspiration from artists such as Harvey Kurtzman, R. Crumb, and Basil Wolverton. One aspect that is found continuously in Spiegelman’s work is his use of autobiographical content. One example of this can be seen in his strip “Prisoner on the Hell Planet,” where he recounts of his awful experiences while hospitalized for a mental breakdown, after his mother committed suicide. This strip contains a more harsh and intense style, which Spiegelman used once and then moved on.
Spiegelman then became less bold he worked on “he took on steady bread-and-butter jobs.” He began designing trading card and stickers for chewing gum. It was not until 1980 he started RAW magazine, which mad comics into an avant-garde art form. He invited artists such as Gary Panter, Sue Coe and Chris Ware whose works were shown in galleries. It was in RAW magazine that Spiegelman first published “Maus” one chapter at a time. Then exhausted Spiegelman began designing children’s books, but was shocked back into comics after witnessing the 2001 World Trade Center attack at close range.
Art Spiegelman’s comic prowess is once again on display for all to see. You can appreciate the time and effort of the pieces because the display showcases first drafts and original manuscripts. Emily Casden, a curatorial assistant, at the Jewish Museum has taken the time to really celebrate an amazing artist.
I would like to know how you feel about comic art and whether it can be perceived as art worth putting in museums like paintings and photographs.
Cotter, Holland “A Master’s Bubbles and Panels, in Depth.” New York Times 16 November 2013: C1. Print.
This is a very interesting article. I have heard of Art Spiegelman before and I am aware of Maus. From what I have read and saw in whatever I read from it, Maus was a very interesting take on the Holocaust. To take something as dark as the Holocaust and manage to not take away that darkness by using cats and mice is remarkable. I did not know, however, that Spiegelman is still very active today. I am going to look out for his work now when I read magazines that Spiegelman is featured in. I actually have an interview here that Spiegelman did recently for Tablet Magaizine. He looks back to Maus and its impact on his life along with many other things.http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-arts-and-culture/152310/art-spiegelman-jewish-museum
I would like to look more into Spiegelman’s art work now because I am interested on how his take of the holocaust was manifested in an art form through cats and rats. I would love to see the story especially so because I am Jewish, but with a family that was on the Soviet side of things. I do a quick Wikipedia search on him and he has a ton of information about his past which is super interesting. I found it funny that he uses the name “Art” as a nickname for his hebrew name “Itzhak” because, translated, Itzhak means laughter. I find that the man named laughter creates comics that are usually used for entertainment and laughter, but, in his case, he uses his drawing skills to depict much more serious representations.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Spiegelman
I think comic art can definitely be perceived as art and I think it should become more common for museums to display comic art, because it adds diversity and is no less worthy than paintings and other forms of art commonly found in museums. I think it’s definitely a concept that should be taken into account and I’m glad it’s actually being pushed forward, thanks to Spiegelman. Spiegelman has a different view on some topics and I like the freshness his work brings to topics that we’ve heard about and seen over and over again. I like seeing things from a different or unconventional perspective and an article about an arts gallery reminded me of this. “Recalling Kennedy’s Death, or Life” by Edward Rothstein, which can be read here http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/21/arts/design/recalling-kennedys-death-or-life.html?ref=design discusses several perspectives in a gallery that revolve around the 50 year anniversary of Kennedy’s assassination. The exhibits in Boston that were installed in 1933 don’t even mention the murder. They give off a sense of freedom from the tragedy and celebrate his campaign, his time in office, and his family, something that the Kennedy’s surely would have wanted. I like that artists take initiative in setting new standards and outlooks on events that are not so new themselves.
I find Spiegelman’s work on the Jews and Nazis very moving. He takes the idea of Nazis and Jews and compares them to cats and mice. I feel like in the cats and mice comparison, it is like a cartoon. It does not have the feeling of death and pain as the actual Holocaust. It feels like just a simple fictional story about mice and cats. It is such an intense transformation. Spiegelman took something as serious as the Holocaust and created his works of cats and mice.
I’ve never heard of Spiegelman before, but his art style seems very unique and emotional, which is different from the typical comic book style. Most comics seem to focus on action and adventure, but he is striving to draw the readers into his story and capture his message through a serious of intense comic drawings. I find this very enriching because it takes you to a completely new field of art where we as the readers can really understand what the artist is trying to convey through drawings.
Comic art has definitely starting grabbing the attention of many people, and has even been given it’s own museum in Ohio according to his article:
http://www.twincities.com/travel/ci_24498202/comics-lovers-will-be-drawn-ohio-museums-original
Although the comics such as Peanuts and Garfield are in a different genre, they are still artwork because these artists aren’t just drawing to make pretty pictures, they intend to instill emotions into their readers, whether it’s anger or happiness. In Spiegelman’s case, he takes a horrific historical event and transforms it into a comic story. Although it can be considered a taboo, he takes the risk because he wants to show people a specific message. Knowing this, I would be interested in reading this comic to see how he conveys the Holocaust through drawings of cats and mice.
I think that comic art can 100% be considered art. Over the past few weeks we’ve seen countless questions of whether or not “x can be considered art”. From balloons (http://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/seminar1baruch13/2013/11/06/balloons-art/) to destruction as a form of art (http://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/seminar1baruch13/2013/10/24/bang-kaboom-art/). So if those can get away with the title of art, I think that in the case of Spiegelman, there is no question that his work, as well, is art.
It seems today that one of the main things museums are lacking is comedy. I definitely think comic art is worth putting in museums. Spiegelman’s form of comedy, however, also teaches a lesson. I was surprised that his book length pictorial narrative was showcased at the Museum of Art because you don’t usually hear of that type of artwork being on display. Spiegelman’s ability to put a comedic twist to the Holocaust with his version of the Jews as mice and the Germans as cats is something only a few could ever do. His strip “Prisoner on the Hell Planet” seems emotional and shows how strong of an artist Spiegelman is to be able to portray such intense feelings in his art during a dark time in his life.
Based on an article, the reason Spiegelman never stuck to one type of art was because he was worried that he wasn’t doing enough new work. He loves changing up his art because he believes in creating new ways to look at it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/03/arts/design/strips-and-stones.html?_r=0
I think comic art qualifies as art, and should definitely be put on display at museums and galleries. It has it’s own admirable qualities that might differ from standard paintings that we’re used to. But even within the median, there are different styles of art. And I believe that comic art should be accepted as openly as we’re able to accept that modern art is different from traditional art in paints. Jessica Lichtenstein is a current artist who uses hentai girls as a subject, and I think it’s a very interesting spin on comic art. I personally really enjoy her installations.
I definitely believe comics are under the category of art and deserve the proper praise accordingly. Comics are not just images to mule over, they tell a story and relay a message. Because of this, I believe they should definitely be displayed in museums as well as galleries. Spiegelman’s work, although I did not know about it before, seems very creative and worth looking into. I love how his comic book tells a meaningful story that has ties to history and personal experiences. Further, the fact that this book won a Pulitzer Prize says a thousand things. It proves Spiegelman’s talent as well as his involvement in many different fields including visual as well as textual art.