05/22 Presentation of Eurocomics: Art as an illustration of resistance

I just came across this Art show.   Since I am reading a bunch of European Comics right now.   I thought it would be worth checking out.

Date: May 22 7:00pm - 10:00pm
NATIONALE gallery, E. Burnside
811 E. Burnside,
97214 Portland, OR

The selection of books presented for this introduction to Eurocomics has 2 major particularities. The first one being that all the titles presented are from renowned authors and artists for the most, with major influence on the industry. Hugo Pratt, Gimenez/Jodorowsky& Moebius, Nicolas de Crecy, Winshluss, along with lesser-known great talents, as Stephane Levallois, Rabate, or Kamel Khelif. But all have war as a background landscape, or a struggle because of a human conflict. Probably because their author/illustrator felt the need to express such stories - or simply because dramatic adventures literature codes- but also because Eurocomics took on a different concept of narration and themes, as well as illustration styles than what has been exploited in the States after WWII. 

Adult content was making its way through, genres multiplied and masters of illustration glorified. One can already discover this influence with the creation of Heavy Metal, firstly a French Magazine. War was one the major reasons why Europe took on a different path than USA, along with a different cultural background, and the need to express the complexity of human psychology in those moments was needed. You will also discover it is not the industry that put this forward, rather the artists themselves, stubborn and resisting to pressures. Over time, Eurocomics have created anti-heroes and beautiful visual narration to explore all the corners of story-telling, with a diversity rarely paralleled, especially in the artwork.

All books will be presented @ the event.
Donations gladly taken, otherwise free for your eyes.