In a flurry of emails about climate change and the abysmal tone of the presidential campaign, Peter Kuper sent over some drawings from his archive about the malevolent effect Trump was exercising on Our Fair City--back in 1989! So as you can imagine he's still at it, and when begged, sent over some recent ones as well. In the spirit of Art Beyond Reason, Peter … Read the full Story >>
Police NavidadTwas X-mas night in Oaxaca and all through the town,not a teacher was stirring (they're in jail, not around).The graffiti of protest has been covered with paint and police roam the streets to enforce that it's quaint.All barricades gone, tear gas dissipated,burning buses removed and encampments have faded.It's like nothing has happened,Gov'nor Ulises pretends, no cheating, nor violence, he'll declare 'til the … Read the full Story >>
This week, The Nation, founded by abolitionists in 1865, launched a new series of artistic dispatches from the front lines of resistance. Spearheaded by celebrated artists and illustrators Andrea Arroya, Steve Brodner, and Peter Kuper, OppArt will showcase fresh content daily online as a diverse group of artists take aim and draw. Launched on Monday with art by longtime DART contributor, Peter Kuper, … Read the full Story >>
Lions released from a zoo in war-torn Baghdad; the cruel conditions of the sheep industry; an American expatriate searching for her identity in Mexico - serious subject matter for any medium, but particularly so for a new wave of critically acclaimed and commercially successful graphic novels. This weekend, the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts opens "LitGraphic," a major exhibition covering the development of … Read the full Story >>
In a moment of heightened awareness one day back in 1995, Peter Kuper, while riding the packed #2 train, began wondering about his fellow passengers and their destinations in a new way. “Was this trip all we have in common,” he thought, “or might our lives crisscross and impact one another in positive or even catastrophic ways. If the flap of a butterfly’s wings in … Read the full Story >>
For ages Mexicans have been the butt of jokes for their purported "Manana -- I'll get to it tomorrow" attitude. Synonymous with slow service, drawn out lunches and siestas, they're said to live their lives at a snail's pace. For a Manhattanite like myself, our move to Mexico was a potential threat - might I be forced to reduce my usual comet-like speed to … Read the full Story >>
While Halloween in the USA is already a sweet memory, here in Mexico things are still warming up for Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Last year at this time, Oaxaca was exploding with a teachers strike, federal troops were swarming over the town square and journalist Brad Will was lying dead in a morgue. This year, Oaxaca has, by outward appearances … Read the full Story >>
AFTER EXPERIENCING MONTHS OF OAXACA CITY'S TRAVAILS, we decided to enjoy the bigger picture of Oaxaca State during the holidays. This region of Mexico boasts a greater variety of ecological environments than any other part of the country, from dusty brown mountain ranges to deep blue coastlines. An especially incredible area includes the beaches surrounding Puerto Escondido, or Hidden Port. I first visited there … Read the full Story >>
The 2017 Summer Invitational: Pimp Your Sketchbook, in which artists show their personal work and open a window onto their creative process, continues with Peter Kuper, who lives and works in New York, and practically wrote the book on sketchbooks. Spread from Amman (with a little bit of Petra on the lower left) Thanks to an invitation to teach a comics workshop, I had the … Read the full Story >>
Editor's note: To celebrate the release of his new graphic novel, the normally reclusive Peter Kuper agreed to take a few questions about his book, Stop Forgetting To Remember. When we looked to find an appropriate interviewer the obvious choice was cartoonist Walter Kurtz. After all, Kuper's new book is the autobiography of Mr. Kurtz. -PR Walter Kurtz: Let me start by asking-where … Read the full Story >>
To avoid the inevitable pitfalls of returning to Manhattan this week, after a two year hiatus in Oaxaca, Mexico, I've decided to give myself a set of rules and reminders to help weather the transition. Draw in sketchbook every day -- religiously. Left: Madre Mexico, Time Travels. Right; Buggin' Out! From Peter Kuper's sketchbook, copyright and courtesy of the artist. Avoid peppering every … Read the full Story >>
A couple of mornings ago I was fixing breakfast for my daughter, Emily, when the entire kitchen began to shake as if a freight train was racing past the back door. It lasted all of ten seconds, punctuated by a shout from my wife asking if I'd felt the earthquake. Hitting 6.4 on the Richter scale, it immediately made news around the world. I … Read the full Story >>
Since DART: Design Arts Daily launched in September 2006, artist/illustrators and their sketchbooks have been a constant presence, starting with Peter Kuper’s Oaxaca Journal on November 10, 2006. The series continued with another 15 installments, which resulted in the publication of Diario de Oaxaca (Bilingual, PM Press, 2009)—a beautifully produced volume with a linen cover. The book saw some high visibility, and … Read the full Story >>
It has been over a year since the U.S. State Department lifted its travel warning against visiting Oaxaca, Mexico. This had been a death sentence to the economy, which is largely dependent on tourism. Hotels were empty, restaurants empty, tour buses empty, pockets empty. Flash forward to the end of last December. The streets are now full of vendors selling an explosion of colorful … Read the full Story >>
Here in Oaxaca, Mexico they say to foreigners— “If you eat the chapulinas (grasshoppers) you will always return.” This magic formula has certainly held true for me– since I downed a few back in 2006, I’ve been returning annually. On this latest visit—a three-month stay– I’ve decided to get a booster dose while expanding my palate to include ants, caterpillars, and several other arthropods. … Read the full Story >>
Editor’s note: In May, Peter Kuper made a presentation on his new book, Drawn to New York PM Press 2013), at The New York Comics & Picture-Story Symposium, a weekly forum for discussing the tradition and future of text/image work. This report is based on his commentary at that event. Peter Kuper’s personal connection to New York began in 1977 when he disembarked a bus from … Read the full Story >>
Peter Kuper, a charter friend of DART, will be enjoying a career retrospective exhibition opening next Thursday at Scott Eder Gallery, in Brooklyn. As if he didn’t already have enough to do, I sent him a page of questions. Here’s what he wrote: Q: What were you doing immediately before you picked up a pencil to make your first drawing? A: At age four or … Read the full Story >>
The Nation, founded by abolitionists in 1865, continues to chronicle the breadth and depth of American political and cultural life since the telegraph brought news to Americans at lightning speed. With the rise of social media, new steps have been taken to continue a spirited discourse on issues of importance to the progressive community. Recently launched, the OppArt blog, curated by Andrea Arroyo, … Read the full Story >>
I may be suffering from PDN (Pre-Departure Nostalgia) as we get closer to our stateside return from Mexico this July. Whatever the diagnosis, all my senses seem to be strangely heightened. My eyes constantly watch for new subjects, and drawing in my sketchbook has become a daily obsession. My ears are sharply attuned to the daily parade of sounds, from the ravens that wake … Read the full Story >>
Four years ago on Wednesday, March 11th I was sitting in Oaxaca, Mexico watching the State of The Union address, in which President Trump UN-reassured us about dealing with an exploding global pandemic. Though the world had suddenly tilted off its axis, Oaxaca showed no sign of this calamity. That would come months later. Visiting Oaxaca has always felt like stepping into the past, with … Read the full Story >>
