a funny story about the Black Panthers

[flypitcher]

since there has been a lot of talk about racism on the board I rember when I was sitting in havana in the house of ALFREDO ROSTGAARD.(considered the greatest ever graphic designer- check google for more info).

I was there buying up all his private collection of orignal artwork when he turned around and asked
me if I had heard of the Black Panthers.

He then produced some graphics that had been published about Angela Davis and a little origami work depicting a panther he had produced.

I asked him how long did he work with them.
He said he was asked by Fidel Castro to educate them on how to produce images for their cause.

To cut a long story short a few of the Panthers went to Cuba and showed up at his door.
Ten minutes later they stormed out of the house refusing to work with him.

I asked him why and he pointed to the colour of his skin.
I said but you are not white(he was a very light skinned mullato) and he just gave shrug and a smile.

Funny old world isn't it.

[ July 14, 2003, 04:05 PM: Message edited by: flypitcher ]

[D J 1 3 8]

Funny you should mention this.

I was walking through Central Park this last weekend and I saw 4 or 5 kids wearing Che shirts. It struck me that not one of these kids would even know who Che was if it wasn't for the fact that there's a really good graphic image of him. It's remarkable the power of good graphic design at the right moment in time. Communists have always been good at this, going back to the Bolsheviks.

I suppose it also didn't hurt that Che died before things went so wrong in Cuba and so wrong for Communism as a whole. You don't see Castro or Stalin or even Lenin's face on too many T-shirts, that's for sure...

[flypitcher]

http://www.cubanartspace.net/rost000.htm

some more info for you btw I have/had evry one of these signed by the master hiself.

[D J 1 3 8]

Originally posted by flypitcher:
http://www.cubanartspace.net/rost000.htm

some more info for you btw I have/had evry one of these signed by the master hiself. Thanks for the link. Perhaps you have already done this, but if you do have so much of his stuff, I would urge you to donate it or lend it to a museum of some kind so that the masses can have access to it. It's really great stuff.

[And]

Originally posted by DJ 138:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by flypitcher:
http://www.cubanartspace.net/rost000.htm

some more info for you btw I have/had evry one of these signed by the master hiself. Thanks for the link. Perhaps you have already done this, but if you do have so much of his stuff, I would urge you to donate it or lend it to a museum of some kind so that the masses can have access to it. It's really great stuff. </font>[/QUOTE]Word up to educating the masses. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

[mhd]

Originally posted by flypitcher:
http://www.cubanartspace.net/rost000.htm

some more info for you btw I have/had evry one of these signed by the master hiself. great link, great story, every time you tell one of these cuba stories you have me buggin. interesting article in the post on sunday regarding ridiculous travel restrictions to cuba from the states

[ultra]

Word Julian (138), The Cuban Art Space on 23rd Street could use something like this!

[flypitcher]

have already did expo in London a few years back,
as regards lending it , the paper is very fragile and it's all the logistics, too busy this year to do anything but maybe next year,
as regards donating, it's my pension,

smile.gif

p.s I have the rights to reprint the politcal prints.

[Koffy Brown]

Great work...I saw a couple of prints I am interested in owning...I didn't see the angela davis piece for sale as a print...absolutely love it...