To Alisa
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| Author | Jota Leal |
|---|---|
| Subject | Alisa Grodsky |
| Genre | Article |
| Published | EF Issue 2019.2 |
Publication date | Spring 2019 |
| Media type | Digital |
| Pages | 6-7 |
| Website | caricature |
This article was written by Jota Leal and can be found in Exaggerated Features issue 2017.2 and ran again as a flashback article in issue 2019.2.
Article Transcript
ISCA member Alisa Grodsky recently had an art show in Coral Springs, Florida. Past ISCA Guest of Honor Jota Leal was able to catch the show and share a little about his impressions.
It was an April Friday morning in Coral Springs, Florida, with the expected beautiful weather and fresh air. The timid winter had been chased off by the warm spring sun, wrapping around us. I got there early (a week early, actually) for the event, the opening of my friend’s exhibition. But Alisa couldn’t make it to the airport; she always has appointments with doctors. Must have a thing for men in lab coats. It was better this way. I felt I had to follow protocol in order to meet the star, because she is a star. I liked it.
After a few hours of growing excitement she finally showed up, always humble and full of this endless kindness. It was the first time we had seen each other in a year, and she greeted me with a warm embrace. But there was not too much to catch up on; it happens when you are so connected with someone’s life. Alisa has a way of making even a year of separation feel like it had been but just an instant.
Learning I could have an earlier showing of her exhibit, I lied when she asked if I was hungry. I had come so far to see the exhibition with her, my appetite could wait. We got into her car and, listening to ‘90s music, we set off to the Coral Springs Museum.
So, I was there again. This time as a spectator instead of an exhibitor, but even prouder. Enchanted, I stopped at every piece. Amazed. Her art and every story she had to tell was gripping. A little tour of her life, of her beautiful mind and prolific career, she has done everything: caricatures, books, cartoon strips, cartoon animation, TV shows, board games, movie posters, murals and more. She writes. She makes apps. She even has time to fight for her life and make us better. It was like Forrest Gump was a girl and she decided to do art instead of run. I admired her before and I thought I knew her already, but this was like seeing color for the first time. Alisa’s huge eyes were so full of life. You felt her heart, overwhelmed with happiness with every word. It was one of the most wonderful experiences I ever had in a museum.
It was also huge for me, seeing the art we do having the recognition it deserves. It doesn’t happen too often. There is a part of the exhibition dedicated to her cancer battle. Humorous drawings and thoughts about this chapter of her life. She made a book of it, to share her experience in an uplifting way, with a smile and bringing some laughter into someone else’s life who is also going through this. The profits of the sales of the book are directly donated to cancer research.
She’s a true artist. Her mind is always searching for ways to express herself; full of ideas. She is not the most confident person, which makes her the bravest, because I know her, and I’m sure she didn’t have a clue every time she got involved in a new adventure. I know she was terrified, but she did it. As someone said: “Fears are the artist’s limits.” She has none. Bravo, Alisa!
Text Box
Alisa Grodsky’s Cancer Crackup: A book of whimsical thoughts and images drawn during my first encounter with chemotherapy.
A comical collection of uplifting, whimsical and humorous thoughts about a very ominous and serious disease. Living with and through any cancer can be one of the most challenging chapters of someone’s life. This book of comic relief is my attempt to lighten the load under what can feel like insurmountable odds. These pages serve as a daily reminder that laughter is a necessary medicine. All proceeds obtained from the sale of this book will be donated directly to cancer research. It is my hope that “Cancer Crackup” brings moments of laughter and the strength to carry on.
See Also
External Links
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