Article, Related to Maus and/or Holocaust Literature
"The pictures lack detail but not depth, the low-definition medium enhancing the deep involvement of the reader."
~"Art Spiegelman's Maus: Graphic Art and the Holocaust" by Thomas Doherty, page 77
This article focused on how the art was effective despite the fact that it lacked detail by analyzing some specific examples from Maus. I happen to agree. I know I already wrote a blog entry on this topic, but this is one of the things that really struck me. There was nothing overly phenomenal about the artwork in and of itself. However, when all of the elements are combined, there is so much to analyze. One example Doherty used was the picture of Vladek and Anza walking along the crossroads in the shape of a swastika. According to the author, this showed that they were "trapped in the frame of the comic and of history."
Comments (1)
Yes, the drawing were simple, but every now and then, a vividly gory and detail drawing would pop up, shocking the reader. Maye this was Spiegelman's aim. There are little details in the drawings, like the Vladek/Anja swastika, that grab you, creative in their own simplicity. One that i found very effective was in the opening of Maus II when Art was sitting at his desk surrounded by the rotting corpses of Jews. He couldn't escape: the Holocaust was always on his mind, a part of him even though he never experienced it.
Posted by Daniella Choynowski | November 15, 2007 10:40 AM
Posted on November 15, 2007 10:40