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Running Head: Picturing The Events

Picturing The Events

Nathaniel A. Silva
English 1312
The University of Texas at El Paso

Running Head: Picturing The Events

Art Expression: Paintings and Cartoons

Throughout history, there has been ways of expressing or reporting events of what is
occurring in the world, for example, a gentleman reporting the news in a local area. In the
early years of man, there were ways of presenting that type of news through story telling
in the form of art. Even today in our age of time, we present some current events with just
simple cartoons called political cartoons. The primary purpose of political cartoons is to
make social and political commentary that simplifies the subtle and often complex
underlying issues of a news story. (Khasandi-Telewa 2014) Overall, these little comics
tell us what is going on at the moment. Another form of describing what is occurring in
society is paintings of what an artist feels. A quote in, Towards a CyberneticConstructivist Understanding of Painting says, Painting, symbol as well as unbeatable
medium of individual consciousness, thrives when people are interested in, and revere,
the reality of their own and other peoples minds and hearts. Painting cant make anyone
interested and reverent. It can only reward interest and reverence that are brought to it, in
a social milieu of respectful persons. (Galuszka 2009) The artist is trying to make the
viewer see what he/she is feeling about the world around them. This paper will reveal the
pros on cons of paintings and political cartoons. Between the two forms of art, paintings
and political cartoons, which best tells of the world as it is happening now? Or are they
just both unique in their own ways? And how do they help us as views with current
events?
The purpose of political cartoons is that they want to know what us as people
reflect on them. Editorial cartoons convey things that pure text would not, such as
metaphor, simile, hyperbole, satire, and irony. But the greatest impact of editorial

Running Head: Picturing The Events

cartoons on society lies in their inherent nature to sway public opinion.(KhasandiTelewa 2014) In a sense, these cartoons do is that they relay on the publics opinion on
issues of the world to pass on the news of what is occurring. These cartoons are fun to
look at and gets to the point of the situation. However, with paintings, it is not what the
viewers see is, but what the artist feels about in their own opinions. However, depending
whom certain viewers are, it could reflect perfectly to them. To help prove this Galuszka
(2009) states, Painting links the painter and the viewer and the viewer to the painter in a
relationship that is unique there are conditions that can make this relationship more
available, or more intimate, and these conditions require a respectful culture. Political
cartoons are best at presenting the point, as they are simple to observe, over paintings
were certain viewer can get the full experience of the concept.
Viewing the Art
In art there are many elements that set the mood in a piece of work. For example
tones of colors in an art piece can show either the setting is dark or light, showing if the
artist is feeling happy or sad. Elements of color come a long way, as far as presenting
something visually beautiful that is appealing to the audience. The placements of objects
and vocal points (the main points in a piece) tell us the significant of the painting. There
are outstanding works of art where they tell the viewer what is happening and a plethora
of what is being reflected in that era. The renascence reflecting to all of Christianity in
paintings is an example of a work telling the viewer an occurrence. An example of an
artwork that open the mind of the famous artist Raphael as he painted the piece called
Transfiguration. Looking at the painting the viewer can see that the main point is the
man in the sky with light originating from him as it looks to be trying to infect the order

Running Head: Picturing The Events

and peace to began a new in the land, as the people below are in conflict. In the article,
The stability of Raphaels high style is perturbed by forces within its recursive
development.(Galuszka 2009) during the time of the renaissance, which meant rebirth,
this was his take on the era that changes Italy. Showing his audience the beauty of this era
as it is being transformed.
Political cartoons appeal by showing feelings and excitement. Cartoons ensure
that the political discourse is carried out in a manner dictated by the cartoon by driving
the emotive content of discussion and prescribing the nature, tempo, and urgency of
argument to suit a certain political objective. (Khasandi-Telewa 2014) Cartoons are each
unique. An example of cartoon from an African election in 2013 from In the cartoonist's
mind: Exploring political comic strips shows a man running as he is carrying a group of
people saying hang in there if you cant make it, I can still appoint you as
ambassadors, commissioners while the group of people are just singing. The author
then says the cartoonist did indicate he used simple self-explanatory symbolism which
refers to Hon. Raila with his cronies. For him, his intentions were simply to mean, during
that orange democratic movement party nominations the nomination process was
marred by violence and lack of transparency. (Khasandi-Telewa 2014) This shows how
easily these can be understood as it goes strait to the point of the matter at hand.
Overall
With the caparison of the two, paintings are better in setting the mood with the
combination of colors that are presented. The claim is that certain paintings in their given
times served as a purpose of expressing ones feelings which have to be analyze and
discover individually. On the other hand, political cartoons are broken down into simpler

Running Head: Picturing The Events

terms of understanding about current events in the world. Political cartoons do have a set
up to get the feelings of the view but paintings are so passionate in the rich bold colors.
Paintings are set them apart from cartoons as they show meaning of the minds of the
artist giver their opinions to the changes in life while turning those feeling in a beautiful
site to behold that is special to all to wittiness.

Running Head: Picturing The Events

Resources
Galuszka, F. R. (2009). Towards a cybernetic-constructivist understanding of painting.
Constructivist Foundations, 5(1), 1-18. Retrieved from http://0search.ebscohost.com.lib.utep.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=471789
62&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Khasandi-Telewa, V. (2014). In the cartoonist's mind: Exploring
political comic strips in kenyan daily newspapers. Journal of Pan
African Studies, 6(9), 30-43. Retrieved from http://0search.ebscohost.com.lib.utep.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a
9h&AN=95985382&site=ehost-live&scope=site