 links to related sites Before all else, The Hunger Site, now new and improved. A click a day helps feed the hungry. A work in progress: Suggested list of bedside table books: current and/or classic | Blogs: an erratically changing list Raed Jarrar's Blog No End in Sight - film The Illustrated Daily Scribble The American Empire Project ECON-ATROCITY BLOG Monbiot.com  |
Last update: Tuesday, April 22, 2008Sites based on artists and graphic illustrations | Journals and organizations | Related topicsThe Real Cost of Prisons Project, with special attention to their Comic Books link and the Comix from Inside Melton Prior Institute for reportage drawing (older version of site with many 'pictorials'). text in English, French and German. The Melton Prior Institute provides the basis for an internationally oriented research on the history of reportage drawing. Resistant Strains is an artist's collective that has developed a series of political posters taking on the critical issues of contemporary prison life, as noted in the October 1998 issue of The Progressive (p. 15). Images of American Radicalism from The MASSES, Michigan State University. Rare examples of the magazine's covers and back pages by John Sloan, Stuart Davis, Art Young and others The Siege and Commune of Paris (1870-71): Caricatures from the Charles Deering McCormick Library of Special Collections, Northwestern University. The site includes links to the library's collection of digitized photographs taken in Paris during this time, as well as other related images. British and American cartoonists and illustrators from the Spartacus Internet Encyclopedia. Great site, full of social, labor and civil rights history, as well as art. "Art to the People" provides images, biographic information and interpretation of symbols used in the work of Walter Crane, Théophile A. Steinlen, Albert Hahn, Frans Masereel and Gerd Arntz. In addition to its useful content on these late 19th-early 20th Century artists, the site is a marvel of elegant design -- the site is part of The International Institute of Social History. Esy Casey chronicles the better part of a single day lived simultaneously in San Francisco and Baghdad  For the death of world imperialism, poster [right] by Dmitry Moor (Orlov), 1920. This poster and hundreds more are to be found at Museum of Russian Posters. Choose by topic (military, social, agitational, movie, etc.), by year (1883 to the present), by author (artist), and in your choice of Russian or English text. left: poster by Joe Sances  W.R.A.P. stands for Western Regional Advocacy Project, a coalition of west coast social justice-based homelessness organizations. WRAP is with artists to create imagery that communicates their political struggle. Here are the results of the first project, posters to download and/or buy. Jesse Shaw is an American Printmaker. "We as Americans and human beings, need to step back and take a good look at our society and our environment and try hard to see through it all. See through all the military propaganda, advertisments trying to tells us what we need and who we should be, and how we should look and act." His woodcuts mean what he says. The website name, Marks & Stencils (think British retailing giant Marks & Spencer) of the stencil/graffiti artist Banksy, hints at his equally incisive irreverence for backward social and political policies. Mike Flugennock's Mikey'zine a radical poster artist's graphic blog with an archive going back to the early 1980's as well as up to the minute news and views.  WW3 Illustrated, an occasional journal of graphically presented social and political issues:
World War 3 illustrated began in 1980 as an anti-war comic book, inspired by the experience of growing up under the shadow of nuclear weapons and by the shock of a second rate actor's finger on the button... The wars the magazine has written and drawn about include those against the poor and homeless, between the sexes, and against different races and religions. These are wars going on all around us, as close as our own neighborhoods and within ourselves. [from WW3's introduction] Right: Chuck Sperry's Bush Hates Me -- inside back cover 25th Anniversary issue of World War 3 Illustrated The Center for the Study of Political Graphics collects, preserves, and exhibits posters relating to historical and contemporary movements for social change. Through its varied programs, CSPG is reclaiming the power of art to inspire people to action. Justseeds/Visual Resistance Artists' Cooperative, an activist artist/worker owned and run cooperative, that launched in the summer of 2007. Justseeds is also a blog, produces a variety of posters and has collaborated with Stumptown Printers to produce a postcard set to Celebrate People's History. Minimum Security, a timely political cartoon strip by Stephanie McMillan. Don't miss her Live Journal blog. AND SO FORTH, A Post Inaugural Assembly, January 22-23, 2005 at OfficeOps, an arts performance and production office park, with the participation of, among others, Amnesty International Firefly Project, THAW and FELT Provisions Library, a resource center for activism and arts. Changing exhibitions and programs. The Yard Sign Project, an invitation to print and post your own yard sign "Red, white and blue signs, approximately 1.5' x 2', are to be placed in front yards and other public locations. . . The "Ten Commandments" yard sign includes text from the Geneva Convention as it relates specifically to treatment of prisoners. "Support Our Troops" includes officially suppressed imagery of the remains of US servicemen and servicewomen," and more. Latin American Graphic Arts, an extensive look (in Spanish and English) at rarely seen, primarily 20th Century prints from Latin and South America, including detailed works by Leopoldo Méndez, and a reading primer published by LEAR. Don't miss "making faces at the enemy". Fiori Art, one artist's mission to "combat the media and therefore the government and corporations' influence on the populace." Editions Gerald and Maas, an atelier at the intersection of graphics, poetry and activist politics. theposterproject.org -- downloadable, free, advocacy posters distributed over the internet..."fueled by our belief in the power of print and the power of the internet in the struggle for social justice." The site also includes links to organizations in areas the posters address (capital punishment, gun control, globalization, poverty, racism, and more).  Propaganda Remix project provides updated WWII posters and links to Get Your War On, from 10/9/01 to the present, and more. Also, don't miss Mine Detection & Dog Center Team #5 See also The Illustrated Enemy for original WWI-WWII graphics  Think Again, "artists who strike back at mainstream ideas that perpetuate injustice."  and see also Protest Graphics, "a selection of original graphics that respond to the military action in Central Asia, violence against Arab and Muslim Americans, and the Bush administration's 'invisible war on terrorism.'"  Another Limited Rebellion (ALR) design studio ["socially conscious graphic design"] that asks, "Can someone make a living doing what they enjoy and affect positive change in the world?" It seems they can. Rich, well organized (and well designed) resource links. Be sure and check out the ADBUSTERS site with links, articles, actions, graphics, and more.... Justice Design, "graphic design for the progressive community" -- a commercial graphic studio by Jason Justice, who says, "The aim of this work is to provide innovative graphic design for socially good & worthwhile causes, and contribute positively to a wide range of political, social and cultural endeavors." Bread and Roses Cultural Project is the not-for-profit cultural arm of Local 1199, the National Health and Human Services Employees Union. Its 220,000 predominantly Latina and African American women members are employed in all job categories in health care institutions throughout the metropolitan New York City area, New Jersey and Florida. Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles -- public, populist art, often with social or historic content -- "Until the 1960s, public murals in Los Angeles were few and far between, isolated instances of commemoration or appreciation. During the sixties and seventies, young artists began to look at the early-century Mexican mural movement. Such notables as David Siqueiros, Diego Rivera and Jose Orozco helped inspire a new generation of Angeleno muralists such as Kent Twitchell, Terry Schoonhoven, Judith Baca, Frank Romero, Alonzo Davis, East Los Streetscapers and many others. Today upwards of a thousand murals have been produced in L.A., with new ones appearing on a regular basis. It has been widely acknowledged that we are one of the world's mural capitals." The center for the study of political graphics (CSPG) is a "non-profit, tax-exempt archive that collects, preserves, documents and exhibits domestic and international posters relating to historic and contemporary movements for peace and social justice." The Guerilla Girls  ,
established in 1985 and still going strong in the 21st century, are a group of women artists, writers, performers and film makers who fight discrimination..."Dubbing ourselves the conscience of culture, we declare ourselves feminist counterparts to the mostly male tradition of anonymous do-gooders like Robin Hood, Batman, and the Lone Ranger. We wear gorilla masks to focus on the issues rather than our personalities. We use humor to convey information, provoke discussion, and show that feminists can be funny. In 17 years we have produced over 80 posters, printed projects, and actions that expose sexism and racism in politics, the art world and the culture at large. Our work has been passed around the world by kindred spirits who we are proud to have as supporters. The mystery surrounding our identities has attracted attention. We could be anyone; we are everywhere." right: Guerilla Girls intercept George Bush's letter to Santa Comic artist Aaron McGruder's daily strip,The Boondocks is now also a TV show. See a selection of McGruder's work in response to the September 11 aftermath. "The strip appeared daily until it was pulled from many papers this week [December 3, 2001], allegedly for 'patriotic' reasons." -- from a Z Net commentary by Frances M. Beal, a political columnist for the San Francisco Bayview newspaper. Art for @ Change, an image library that includes John Heartfield, posters from the Spanish Civil War and Paris student/worker uprising, and more. Art for a Change Democratic CONvention special edition The graphic art of Jules De Bruycker In German, with links to the Spencer Museum of Art. Stephen Barnwell designs moneyart with a historical/political eye. Ryan Germick's Consumer Comics: cartoon criticism of Capitalism for children of all classes, begins with Ray's Awareness, and what Ray learns from his tube sock. Political & Social Satire by Saint Peter II "Exposing the hidden motivations of public figures and the futility of their self serving policies. . ." From Draloo Arts, Inc., Mike Woolard paints with toothpicks on glass, using Testor's model car enamel. These images are reproduced on postcards offered to independent bookstores for sale or free distribution. His mission: to "... provide quality products to aid the independent bookstores of America in their struggle for continued existence. We will never sell out to the Corporate Giants who are sucking the life out of our Country and homogenizing our souls." You can begin Mike's gallery tour here. 9/11: New York Aftermath || Thoughts about Afghanistan || Gas mask || Red Burka Student responses from Parsons School of Design Buttons of the Cause, a site devoted to political/social buttons (1960-2003) on a wide variety of issues by Al Feldstein, who has collected over 9000 such examples of graphic history. Over 370 of them have been reproduced in a poster, which is available for sale on-line from the site. Journals and organizations on social/political issues | Sites based on artists and graphic illustration Earth Policy Institute, "dedicated to building a sustainable future as well as providing a plan of how to get from here to there." Lester Brown's book, Plan B 3.0, Mobilizing to Save Civilization is available on-line. Read it and mobilize. The Ultimate Field Guide to the U.S. Economy is the latest version of "the best and . . . least solemn guide to the dismal science you are likely soon to encounter" (John Kenneth Galbraith). Available in book form with revisions and updates on the web. The Yes Men, practitioners of Identity Correction, where honest people impersonate big-time criminals in order to publicly humiliate them. Targets are leaders and big corporations who put profits ahead of everything else (as opposed to Identity Theft, where small-time criminals impersonate honest people in order to steal their money). Check out their DVD. Will Potter, a journalist with a strong interest in animal and civil liberties. His blog analyzes cases of 'red baiting with a green twist'. Although The New Standard ceased publication in 2007, you can still find its archive on-line. The New Standard "is a unique online newspaper founded on the belief that the dominant model and methods of profit-focused news journalism have failed the public interest. Managed by a collective of journalists and published by a reader-funded nonprofit organization, TNS is committed to bold, hard-hitting daily news coverage, providing a vetted forum for the voices and issues often ignored in the establishment news arena". Outraged Moderates -- Their "main page functions as a blog, which is updated roughly every other day. The Four Things America Agrees On section shows how the Bush administration's policies have alienated mainstream America, and serves as an archive, with information organized by topic. Also, be sure to check out the Download For Democracy campaign, which uses peer-to-peer net to give Americans a fast, free, and easy way to accessover 600 government documents." lunaville.com, where casualty counts are accurately maintained, reflecting military adventures in Afghanistan and Iraq. Be sure and check out the informative directory of thoughtful news and commentary portals under the heading LunaLinks.  TAKE BACK THE MEDIA including short, punchy flash films is "a cooperative project by progressive American citizens. We are dismayed at the pro-government, pro-corporate bias shown by American media, and we intend to do something about it. Many American share our views on how the media promotes a pro-war, pro-big corporation agenda, and our numbers are growing every day.
While we do not advocate any violent action against private property or citizens, we do advocate using the Power of The Purse and non-violent action to bring back responsibility to the corporate media."  CorpWatch: provides news, analysis, research tools and action alerts to respond to corporate activity around the globe. You can also purchase a unique bi-lingual card game [see el Gallo at right], WTO Bingo or Lotteria (known in Spanish as LOMCERÍA or LWTORIA) Tikkun Community and Magazine, from the Hebrew word te-kün, meaning 'to mend, repair, transform' the world. Pro-Palestinian, pro-Israeli, pro-peace. UNITE! A new chapter in the history of the U.S. labor movement began in 1995 with the founding of UNITE (Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees). The new union was formed by the merger of two of the nation's oldest unions, the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU) and the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU). The site provides resources both for current actions and information and a history of the union's struggles, including a link to the infamous 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. United for a Fair Economy, "inspiring action to close the economic divide." Among its resources, the site provides a research library. It 'was founded as a "movement support" organization to provide media capacity, face-to-face economic literacy education, and training resources to organizations and individuals who work to address the widening income and asset gap in our country.' The Natural Resources Defense Council and their journal, On Earth, including the Bush administration's record on the environment. PEACE CONNECTION: Coordinating effective action to stop war and cultivate peace ATTAC: an international forum for news and discussion  FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting) "the national media watch group, has been offering well-documented criticism of media bias and censorship since 1986. We work to invigorate the First Amendment by advocating for greater diversity in the press and by scrutinizing media practices that marginalize public interest, minority and dissenting viewpoints. As an anti-censorship organization, we expose neglected news stories and defend journalists when they are muzzled. As a progressive group, FAIR believes that structural reform is ultimately needed to break up the dominant media conglomerates, establish independent public broadcasting and promote strong non-profit sources of information." British based MediaLens "has grown out of our frustration with the unwillingness, or inability, of the mainstream media to tell the truth about the real causes and extent of many of the problems facing us, such as human rights abuses, poverty, pollution and climate change." Media alerts on a wide range of issues, including animal rights, biotechnology, corporate spin, globanization. Peace in the Middle East, a group of American Jews who drafted and signed an Open Letter published in U.S. and Israeli newspapers. Signatures are still being collected; support from Jews and non-Jews is welcome. The goal is to keep adding supporting names, and publish as widely as possible, both in the U.S. and the Middle East. Monthly Review: "There has never been a more important moment for MR's unique blend of scholarship and activism, critical understanding and accessibility. MR speaks to workers and labor organizers no less than to academics, and against class exploitation, no less than against racial and sexual oppression. It has never been more indispensable as a guide to current realities, their historical roots and the prospects for change. It is an essential voice for today." Free Speech TV -- Democracy Now, interviews, streaming audio/video newscasts and much more Progressive Populist, a journal from the Heartland that believes people are more important than corporations. Z Net, a community of people concerned about social change, maintained by Z Magazine, "an independent political magazine of critical thinking on political, cultural, social, and economic life in the United States. It sees the racial, sexual, political, and class dimensions of personal life as fundamental to understanding and improving contemporary circumstances and it aims to assist activist efforts to attain a better future." Center for Economic and Policy Research, "established to promote democratic debate on the most important economic and social issues that affect people's lives...to ensure that the citizenry has the information and analysis that allows it to act effectively in the public interest." Alternet.org, "an online magazine and information resource...providing quality journalism, dependable research, issue-focused public interest content and passionate advocacy..." Overall, we seek to engage our community of readers in problem solving, community action and awareness of current events in the United States and abroad. World Watch Institute, dedicated to fostering the evolution of an environmentally sustainable society--one in which human needs are met in ways that do not threaten the health of the natural environment or the prospects of future generations. MediaReader Quarterly, providing quality information from independent journalists. The Consortium for Independent Journalism, a source of information based on investigative reporting; home of American Dispatches Magazine (formerly iF Magazine). The Nation, a weekly magazine: editorial cartoons by Edward Sorel, Tom Tomorrow, and others; regular columns by Katha Pollitt (Subject to Debate), Alexander Cockburn (Beat the Devil), Patricia Williams (Diary of a Mad Law Professor) and more. The Progressive, a monthly magazine of progressive thought. CounterPunch, "America's best political newsletter" Salon magazine, an on-line journal of contemporary culture. Public Citizen, a public policy watchdog group founded by Ralph Nader. OMB Watch, another public policy watchdog, focussing on the out-of-the-public-eye activities of the Office of Management and Budget..."under the guise of disinterested analysis, OMB is employing a heavy tilt toward business interests and against any new regulation that would cost them money." [William Grider, Who Will Tell the People?, Simon & Schuster, 1992.] Office of Management and Budget in its own words. A work in progress: Suggested list of bedside table books: current and/or classic Gene Baur, Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds about Animals and Food. 2008 Touchstone Books ISBN 13:978-0-7432-9158-3 Lester R. Brown, Plan B 3.0: Moblizing to Save Civilization. 2008 W. W. Norton & Company Inc. ISBN 978-0-393-33087-8 Jane Jacobs, Dark Age Ahead. 2004 Vintage Books ISBN 1-4000-7670-6 Naomi Klein, The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism 2007 Henry Holt and Company, New York ISBN 13: 978-0-8050-7983-8 Paul Krugman, The Conscience of a Liberal. 2007 W. W. Norton ISBN-10: 0393060691 Eric Marcus, Meat Market: animals, ethics & money, 2005 Brio Press, Boston Massachusetts ISBN 0-9758679-0-3 Rebecca Solnit, Hope in the Dark: Untold Histories, Wild Possibilities, 2004, 2006 Nation Books NYC ISBN 1-56025-828-4 Cornel West, Democracy Matters: Winning the Fight Against Imperialism. 2004 Penguin Books ISBN 0 14 30.3583 5 Theodore H. White, America in Search of Itself: the making of the president 1956-1980. 1982 Harper & Row ISBN: 0060390077 Muhammed Yunus, Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism, 2007 Public Affairs / Perseus Books ISBN 13:978-1-58648-493-4 Related sites by topic Animal Rights Human Rights (1st Amendment, prisons, capital punishment) Poverty (sustainable development, 'green' investing, poverty guidelines) Graphic Witnesshome page | top of this page | Comments/corrections witness@graphicwitness.orgLast update: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 |
