Go Back! Wrong Boat! 1947

This black and white political cartoon "Go Back! Wrong Boat!" was made by Herbert Lawrence Block. The artist’s hand, so present in the drawing, reminds me of a time when cartoonists used to use these bold lines to tell the truth, as they saw it. It's like he's speaking a universal language. I can only imagine him, bent over a table, charcoal or pencil in hand, conjuring up the nerve of that woman on the rocks. She wears a sash, and she's shouting at that little boat, and it makes me think about power, who gets to have it, and how they use it. What was Block thinking, I wonder, when he decided to put that framed image of the Mayflower at the front? It makes me think of Goya, who saw the world with such a clear eye. The picture isn't just about politics; it's about people, about you and me, about now.