“ Finding Ways to Lose Yourself ” : Peter Kuper

15 July 2015

 “ Finding Ways to Lose Yourself ”

Today I have attended the Lecture about “ Finding Ways to Lose Yourself ” which is how the journey, being lost and filed trip crucial for discover the unexpected idea and inspiration to develop my creative mind. Furthermore, there were some example the artist who succeed from their journey experience. Peter Kuper is the artist that I chose to mention about because I was impressed by his unique illustration style and also his journey!  

Peter Kuper is an famous American cartoonist, illustrator as well as political and social observation. His illustration works has published regularly in magazine which are Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, and MAD, where he illustrates SPY vs. SPY every month.  Besides, he has written and illuminated about his own journey experience and political such as Comics Trips, Diario de Oaxaca and World War 3 illustrated.

Fig. 1. Peter Kuper's comics trips; A Journal of Travels through Africa and Southeast Asia (1992)

He has traveled wildly through Latin America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, which he gathered his experience to illustrate the book named Comics Trips: A Journal of Travels Through Africa and Southeast Asia. Moreover, he and his family moved to the Mexico state of Oaxaca for 2 years, whereas, in that time he was in the epicenter of Mexico’s biggest political struggle in recent years. Thus he started drawing and writing what he was seeing around him which became the book named Diario de Oaxaca (see fig.1)

He gained lots of thing from exploration while his journey that he could apply for create his own extraordinary book. For example, he presented the one part distinct vision of Oaxacan life from the fight between strikers and government troops by using the vivid colour to paint graphic portrayals. In my opinion, Journey lead people to explore new situation and different aspect from another places.

Figure 2, "Building" (2013)

Besides the artwork about the journey, He also illustrates about the world current situation such as crime, global warming, discrimination, education and military.

In the work named "Building" (see fig.2), he shown the crime in the capital city that the  four man represent as the businessman who can control the building as well as everything in the town. The building on the businessman hands could move easily as they want because they have a power to do, which is expressed by using the man are bigger than the building and the way that those eyes are looking at.  

In my opinion, I think this picture represent the corruption behind business that  realize me to the similar situation in my country. Moreover, I think this picture can make the audience aware of the truth that the corruption and crime are concealed from influential person. 

So..Do you want to lose yourself and start the new unforgettable journey?? Don’t forget to bring your sketchbook and colour pen, perhaps you’ll get the new excited story for you own book!!!    

List of Illustrations

Figure 1. Peter Kuper (1992). Kuper Peter Kuper's comics trips; A Journal of Travels through Africa and Southeast Asia [Cover] 
At: http://www.peterkuper.com/comix/C-n-B2.html (Accessed on 15.7.15)

Figure 2. Peter Kuper (2013). Building. Drawn to New York. [Illustration]
At: http://www.peterkuper.com/StockIllustration/directory.html (Accessed on 15.7.15)