The Problem We All Live With II on the ol' drafting table.
The Problem We All Live With II
¶ Drawing
¶ January 2015
This illustration is my unofficial sequel to Norman Rockwell's landmark 1964 painting, The Problem We All Live With. The idea arose while watching the controversy surrounding the deaths of Mike Brown and Eric Garner unfold last year; online.
Norman Rockwell was a genius at boiling down a story or subject to it core, distilling it, and telling it through clear, singular illustration. But I wondered how this painting would be different in an age obsessed with consumption, visibility and identity. What would have been pushed to the margins by Rockwell is now the grist milled for news feeds, threads and live reports. What kind of circus would surround Ruby Bridges if a something similar happened now? How has our experience, engagement and discussion of social issues changed?
Rockwell created a beautiful and poignant illustration about Ruby. I just felt like creating an illustration about everything and everyone else.
The Problem We All Live With II, 48″ x 12″, Conté pencil on toned paper.