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Interview with Ehsan Ganji for his Coronavirus cartoons

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Interview with Ehsan Ganji for his Coronavirus cartoons

Coronavirus pandemic has emerged rapid crisis in the world that it affected the minds of all social class, every one based on his social position has different reaction to it. But artists and caricaturists responded differently. Ehsan Ganji is one of the artists who has created interesting and amazing cartoons on this subject and there are great feedbacks in social media and presses. His cartoons have more critical approach on this subject. He challenged the inexpertly reactions of some people and some inefficient approaches in managing this crisis. He shows the negligence to the audiences with smooth and deep view. Thanks of them we talked to him as you read here:

Coronavirus global crisis has involved the caricaturists’ mind and they created some remarkable cartoons like your works. These works are artistic and they consider the coronavirus and its side effect too. What is your opinion about the approaches and contents related to this subject?

Coronavirus pandemic is an important subject that involve all parts of our life. Perhaps it is the most significant challenge because of its depth and spread. We should wait to analyze this crisis truly. But it has affected on economy, politic, sport and social issues so much until my cooperators couldn’t be quiet in all over the world. I try to react this subject with my approach and find our weakness and show them with critical taste and artistic expression. About the content, I try to be effective by highlighting the importance of this crisis and the ways we can pass it. And about the technique, I try to maintain the simplicity in my works with an exclusive and subsidiary view.

The art of cartoon considers the subjects with all their aspects, mellifluously and also sardonically. In many cases, the bitter subjects have been shown by this humorous approach, and so it decreased its bitterness for the audiences. Although some cheap and popular works are baseless and just for fun. But mellifluous and humor in your works are attractive and elegant and also it has a social origin that it associates with the challenging and concerning approach to the public negligence and issues and crisis management such as social distance in subway or stay at home caricatures. Your works have more serious concerns and you provided distinct images. What is your analysis and opinion about this aspect in your works?

- I know triviality is the most important danger for an artist. Social media just try to get more followers and nothing are important for them. This problem does not only threat cartoonists but also all the artists. I always try to avoid this triviality. Good quality is achieved in art by various conditions and factors. I think the most important factors before creating any work includes wide self-study, understanding the importance of research. I try to have sympathy and show how people’s hearts feel in my works.

I think today we need such artistic and critical cartoons while considering the professional rules and principles, contain a critical approach and view to the issues and they can exhibit them with artistic language. It is highlighted in my work a lot.

In my opinion, the nature of the cartoon is critical and radical and it can’t be adulator and describer like a poet. The audiences and critics recognize how successful I am.

In most of your works, the color tonality is yellowish gray. Where does this choice come from?

- When I use one color, the works don’t variety of colors and they are briefness. In fact, it seems every cartoon is created on a yellowish gray paperboard and they are black and white. I’d like briefness and I believe that at first every artistic event happens in the mind of the artist not in his tools and skills. So, I think I pay attention to the main subject not details. I also select yellowish gray because the background become light color and it has good effect on the audience.

As coronavirus spread in Iran, the International Cartoon and Caricature “we defeat corona” competition was organized by secretary of Seyed Masoud Shojaee Tabatabaee. Many works were sent to this competition from many countries. Have you have sent any work too?

- Unfortunately, I couldn’t attend because before it, I had a project that it needed concentration and study. But I created some works about coronavirus these days based of my observations and the dangers threated people and I published them in the media. In these works, I try to reflect management paradox, public negligence and inequalities in health and treatment field and I hope it could be effective.

How can cartoon and caricature help to fight against this virus crisis? How can it decrease its pains and bitterness and how can it be warning or informing?

- Art and caricature have some importance in coronavirus crisis and other crisis. I believe its functionalist effects both personally and internally, and socially and externally. Cartoon could be warning and informing, and it also can create happiness both for audience and its author. The endurability we experience, depends on the facilities we have.

Your works had considerable feedback among the audiences in social media. What comments and feedbacks did you receive from your audiences?

I experience different reactions from my audiences for any cartoon and most of them are positive and full of energy. They imputed me for some of my works that they are about special public partiality such as politic, sport, race and ethnicity. These reactions are new experience for me and they make new cognition in creating my new works. Some of them related to the people and it is a kind of anthropology. I can understand my action area by these reactions. Sometimes I don’t know them logical and I try to don’t cover the truth for receiving good reaction. Fortunately, the reactions were good up to now and I have received energy and motivation from them to continue my works.

Do you continue to create your coronavirus cartoons?

- Yes, of course. It is my duty. It is a crisis that involved human and it is a good motivation for me. I feel more sympathy than before and I try to create some effective works that exhibit the concept of unity against the crisis threaten the health of human.

Do you have any comment?

- I hope we release this virus very soon. If the current situation continues, we should leave some fundamental partiality and change some political principles and economic structures.

Thank you for spending time with us.

 

 

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