The popular cartoonist and animation maker, Bahram Azimi, said: “the visual signs of corona are readable for all people of the world regardless of geography boundaries. Artists and audiences can talk to each other through it.
According to Iran Cartoon Website, the director and animation maker, Bahram Azimi, interviewed with IRNA and he said about the activities of cartoonists in quarantine periods and coronavirus pandemic crisis: “we see these days that our country are engaged by coronavirus problems, the visual arts space, especially cartoons and caricatures has received audiences’ attentions, in other hands, they become a language for informing and appreciating. Caricaturists started to work in their own page automatically.” He said about the works created these days:” These works were created by artists with two approaches. Some of them pointed the coronavirus directly and used humor, and the other works transmitted messages about the treatment staff and appreciating them. Because they work in dangerous place and they didn’t see their family for a long time.”
Mr.Azimi said: This art is available easily in the world and it could be very effective in these conditions and many works are created. While the arts such as cinema, theater, music and poetry couldn’t provide works with coronavirus subject quickly. Because of it, cartoons play more role among other arts.
He was the jury of the International Cartoon and Caricature “we defeat corona” competition and he emphasized on the great quality of works. He said:” This event proved that any arts can’t receive so much works 10 days after international call. It is very hard for us to select between them.”
He considered the coronavirus subject globally and said: “Coronavirus crisis engaged all people around the world and it is a collective experience that visual signs of it are readable for all. The most important feature of corona works is that it isn’t restricted to a place. Artists and audiences can talk about it in all over the world. For example, face of a nurse is wounded by mask means self-sacrifice.
Earnest and love are the most important characteristics of a cartoonist
Mr.Azimi knew earnest and love as the most characteristics of a successful cartoonist and said: “If someone considers these characteristics, definitely his work be noticed and he can develop. And if he designs well and attractive and he keep in touch with current affairs, undoubtedly, People can communicate with him and he becomes popular.
There is no difference between new and old generation in art. There are great, medial and weak and in each period. Some persons work great and some persons only try to busy the space. If you create a good work, you have your own audiences. It has no benefit you always gripe that “My works are great but they don’t award me”.
Media directors afraid of caricature.
He said about the reaction of media directors against caricature: “Many directors, secretaries and editors don’t know the art very well and some of them afraid of it because of its critical approach. So, we see a few caricatures in press and caricaturists don’t support so they prefer to exhibit their works in social media. I myself read the news in different website and I don’t use traditional media.”
He said about the presentation methods of the works: “Now the private page of artists helps them to communicate with their audiences and also, people can communicate with this art more than before. I have many students that they have thousands of followers in virtual spaces and they use them to sell their works.
The virtual spaces cause that cartoonists don’t require press and it isn’t important that they don’t publish their works.”
He said: “Some galleries only exhibit the works of famous artists and even you are weak actor they exhibit your works but they ask an academic graduated person sample of his work. And they only choose one or two works and exhibit them two years later. But now their private pages have many visitors and it is a new season of presenting artistic works.”
He evaluated the visual arts followers and said: “Visual arts artists are not like some singers that can get followers by strange behavior because in the best situation, there are few people like to see their works in an exhibition and they have special audiences. For example, the mosaic artist who could attract many people, shows his artistic ability.”
At the end, Mr.Azimi said about his newest artistic activities: “We rewrite a scenario in a group as “a boy with wide eyebrows”. This is a film that I am writer and director of it too.”
For visiting his page and cartoons please click here
