By Queshon Hancock
Graphic Designer
Students from the Amarillo College Art Department have had their art on display in the Common Lobby Art Gallery on the Washington Street Campus since Sept. 19. The show will display students’ political and current issues cartoons until Oct. 21. Going into this, I was expecting to mainly see pieces depicting Trump and Kamala’s recent debates, policies or the artist’s overall judgment or perception of the candidates. Although some did, I was surprised to see the variety of topics that were displayed at the show.
These pieces depicted current political issues in the U.S. and other countries such as war, government conspiracies, inflation and other current or recent issues over the past couple of years.
One of the pieces that caught my eye was Rosario Gonzalez’s illustration of the death of Republicans and Democrats, represented by two gravestones: one under the name “Deem O’Cratt” and another named “Rhee Publik Ann.” I would be lying if I said I didn’t chuckle at the pun, but moreover, I was impressed by the composition and cross-hatching of this piece.
A few other pieces got a grin or laugh out of me while I was browsing the show, such as Mischa Casteel’s illustration of an old Dinosaur as a U.S. court member and a cross-hatched illustration by Samara Gonzales of the Mona Lisa soup fiasco.
Several pieces illustrated a much darker representation of contemporary issues that prompted me to question and interpret the deeper meaning of the piece. I found myself looking at a piece by Jayden de Santos, depicting a clown holding a hiring sign with an extensive list of prerequisites for a job that paid only ten dollars an hour. This left me wondering if this could be the fate or reality of former students who are searching for a job after graduating from college.
All in all, I was quite satisfied with my visit, however, I left wanting to see more. I wish that student shows like this had bigger spaces for pieces, as I’ve seen other works under the cafe that could have been included in the show. Despite that, I would highly recommend everyone to have a look at these compelling pieces by these talented students.
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