Tomi UNGERER (1931-2019) - Lot 212

Lot n° 212
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Estimation :
4000 - 5000 EUR
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Result : 6 340EUR
Tomi UNGERER (1931-2019) - Lot 212
Tomi UNGERER (1931-2019) "Prestige 1967 Original drawing. Watercolor on paper, signed in pen (lower right). H_40 x W_25 cm (view) / H_60 x W_44.5 cm (framed) New-York In 1967, Columbia University asked Tomi Ungerer to create a series of posters opposing the Vietnam War. But various obstacles forced the artist to end the collaboration and pursue the project on his own. That same year, with the help of his friend Richard Kasak, Tomi Ungerer printed as many posters as his logistical and financial resources would allow, based on the drawings he had made over the preceding months. Prestige", shown here, is one of the major works in this series. These posters were subsequently distributed worldwide, spreading the general anti-Vietnam sentiment in a visceral and humanistic way. Tomi Ungerer's anti-Vietnam War posters are extraordinary works, for their visual force, political commitment and historical significance. An unclassifiable artist, Ungerer uses drawing as a weapon of denunciation. Through hard-hitting, often provocative and disturbing images, he tackles head-on the horror of war and the hypocrisy of the powers that support it. By hijacking well-known symbols such as the American flag and the Statue of Liberty, he creates an immediate visual shock designed to awaken consciences. His graphic style, both satirical and brutal, combines black humor and social criticism with formidable effectiveness. In the context of the 1960s, it was risky to publicly oppose the Vietnam War, especially from the United States where Ungerer lived. Tomi was blacklisted by the FBI and saw his career impacted by his political stance for much of his American period. This shows that his anti-Vietnam posters are not mere graphic works, but genuine acts of resistance, intellectual and moral courage that remain powerful symbols of resistance, freedom of expression and the struggle for peace today.
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