Interview with Kimberly Harris

Above: Magic Bus Fantasy Road Trip by Kimberly Harris

How is the idea of activism apparent in your art?

I’m not sure I consider myself an activist. An observer and commentator would be more accurate, shedding light on the absurdity of a situation or event. There is no real political agenda. I’ve been a registered independent for many years.


Do you think political and environmental issues can be effectively addressed in art?

Yes, of course. I like to think that dealing with the issues in a more humorous vent helps to illustrate the absurdity and absolute madness of the powers-that-be, because the decisions they make and the drama that surrounds them can affect our lives in such profound ways.

Left: "Dance of the Auditors" by Kimberly Harris


Which artists do you admire who have an activist agenda?

I would first mention The Guerrilla Girls for being the conscience of the elitist male-dominated contemporary art world. I also have a high regard for Frida Kahlo and Georgia O'Keeffe. They were two outstanding female artists who broke through the social barriers of their time by creating amazing and timeless works of art.

Tell us something about your process of creating.

Almost all the politically-themed artwork is derived from reading and watching the news. The news media is an endless source of material. I also have a friend, Donovan, whom I collaborate with on much of the political art. An idea has to make us both smile before I put pencil to paper and stylus to tablet.

Right: "Green Man is California Dreaming" by Kimberly Harris

What is the name of your etsy shop?

My Etsy shop is FullFrogMoon. I have a winter holiday store called FullSnowMoon where I take my artwork and make them into ornaments. There is also a Facebook page under Full Frog Moon where comments are welcome.

Interview with Ed Frascino

above: Ed Frascino, "WMD"

Q: Please tell us what issues are important to you.
Animal Rights. I am appalled by the inhumane treatment of animals whether it be in the wild, in laboratories, in animal farms, in circuses, in zoos, or in domestic settings.
Endangered Species
Environment/Global Warming
Anti-war
Gun Control

Q: How is the idea of activism apparent in your art?
I can't be objective enough to analyze my own work. If I tried to define it I'd be hampered when it came time to produce it. The idea of activism seems apparent in my work simply by looking at it. One picture is worth a thousand words.

left: Ed Frascino, "Global Warming Note Card"

Q: Do you think political and environmental issues can be effectively addressed in art?
Images can very powerfully address political issues. Goya and Daumier did it and Picasso most prominently did it with his famous Guernica. Photo journalists make an impact with one photograph. The United States is now fighting in two wars. If each day every newspaper printed on their front pages images of battlefields and the sufferings of civilians living in war zones perhaps Americans would understand what war is really like. It ain't like a John Wayne movie.

Q: Which artists do you admire who have an activist agenda?
Pat Oliphant, Tony Auth, Ben Sargent are three of many excellent editorial cartoonists who with a single drawing can cut to the core of complicated political and social issues. One of the greatest was the late Herblock whose caricatures succinctly satirized any subject he chose to skewer. In the past there was Heinrich Kley. His masterful pen line drawings blend fantasy, satire, and humor. The magnificent Saul Steinberg elevated the art of cartooning to the realm of the great masters. Beginning in 1922 a Pulitzer Prize has been awarded for Editorial Cartooning. This year Mark Fiore whose animated editorial cartoons appear exclusively on the web won the first Pulitzer for this genre of editorial cartooning.

I especially admire my cousin Elena Mary for starting Making Change.

Q: Tell us something about your process of creating.
The creative process always has been and remains a total mystery to me. I don't know where it comes from or how it gets here but I'm grateful that it does. Making pictures may be my greatest pleasure. Be it drawing, painting, or now, with computer technology, having fun with Photoshop.

Q: What is the name of your etsy shop?
http://www.etsy.com/shop/EdFrascino


right: Ed Frascino, "Nuke'em"