Dear Editor,
Stabroek News cartoonist Paul Harris is indeed an unstoppable artist par excellence; this brother has never failed to capture the situation ‘dead on.’ His cartoons bring out in both raw and subtle ways an exact representation of events/issues at hand.
The Pit Bull cartoon of Friday, June 6, was yet another stunning ‘6 runs’; a thousand words could not have painted and expressed a clearer message, and equally so too, was the one on a black man (Obama) for president of the USA on June 15.
As most of us can attest, cartoonists can often times be very difficult to figure out since they seek to capture in a caricature an entire situation/story within a small space, using their razor sharp wit and imagination, and their (cartoon) interpretation depends on our being somewhat au fait with current events both locally and internationally. But once you are in tune, there’s no more serious amusement, be it political, socially outrageous or just plain folly.
Harris is good; he once drew a caricature of a politician and from his eyes, you knew instantly, exactly what he was contemplating. He gets you into the character’s head for sure. I have a collection of some of his works, each a gem in itself that tells the nation’s story more than most books can tell it. They make you think with pleasure, roll back time, re-examine the present and think hard about the future, all with giggles and uproarious laughter. It is a therapy which releases stress, soothes the mind and lightens the spirit.
One needs to admit that Harris’s weekly contribution to the SN is most dynamic, provocative and profound; he is a giant of an artistic personality among us whose contributions are almost immeasurable. It is good that he is allowed the latitude to freely do his work, which is a sine qua non for genuine art. Respect.
Yours faithfully,
Frank Fyffe
