Kallithea Camp Athens (18 November 1959).
The distinctive ‘shaky’ line
of this drawing is instantly recognisable as that of the late illustrator and
artist reporter Ronald Searle. During his
career Searle had the opportunity to travel all over the world, using drawing to
report on global issues, often from an alternative perspective. His intention was to get behind the
exaggerations of tabloid newspapers and expose the reality of the situation. Searle’s observation is exquisite and I find his
sketches truly beguiling in their impeccable depiction of human existence. Searle often employed humour in his work, but
was entirely capable of changing his drawing style to suit the seriousness of
the subject. With a knack for capturing
things precisely as they were, Searle’s sketches could successfully influence
the viewer’s view of a situation, alerting them to something they may not have been previously aware off. This particular
image was sketched in 1959, as part of a series of illustrations highlighting
the plight of the world’s refugees. Perhaps
what he had to endure as a PoW during World War II allowed Ronald
Searle a deeper insight into the sufferings experienced by these people:
“I tried, in
that case, to explain the person in front of me without any sort of trickery or
exaggeration. Tried to get behind the
sadness or the hopelessness of most of these camps – everyone abandoned.”[1]
I would say that Searle has
definitely achieved what he set out to convey – the desperation and misery of
the situation is palpable in this hopeless image. The row of ramshackle lean-tos extends
precariously into the distance, perhaps for miles, emphasising the magnitude of
the hardships faced by the refugees. The eye is drawn to the lonely figure hunched
over decrepitly in the foreground. One
is hit by the severity and inhumanity of it all, and this is where Ronald
Searle’s talent as a ‘storyteller’ lies – his illustrations present to us true
stories with a candour and perceptivity that surely cannot fail to persuade the
viewer to come to some sort of conclusion.
No doubt likely to be one of agreement with the opinions expressed by
the artist himself.
[1]
Robert Searle, taken from Derek Brazell and Jo Daries, Making Great Illustration, p81
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