JournalArt: Steve Mumford

With the advent of photography, it is often assumed that the value of sketches and drawings as media of reportage is obsolete, but I'm now convinced otherwise. Mumford's paintings show a depth of emotion and drama in a way that a picture perfect presentations often cannot.

Since the time I originally published this JournalArt on my blog, I've found a couple of other interesting links, including stories about Mumford on ABC News: Person of the Week and another from the Christian Science Monitor. You can also visit his ArtVitae.com page.

...any artist who identifies himself with the Iraq war and occupation deserves to be and will be held in contempt, as an apologist for war crimes."

That's a bit much. There are many things about the Iraq War of which I do not approve. But this seems like a reactionary response to a very grey matter, almost as "repugnant" as the neo-conservative propaganda campaign such statements were designed to counter. You don't topple an unethical enemy by adopting his methods. It feeds the neocon, "dirty liberal" mentality to do so.

How is Mumford "identifying" himself with the Iraq War merely by depicting, with painted images, what he sees happening there? Are photojournalists to be subjected to like-minded barbs for taking pictures, which can be just as easily manipulated to tap into emotional triggers?