Drawing a Line in the Sand
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| Author | Joanne Brooker |
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| Published | EF Issue 2009.2 |
Publication date | Spring 2009 |
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| Pages | 14-15 |
| Website |
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| Photos by Kahlil De Pio | |
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Article Transcript
Let me tell you a story about a town called Dubai. A poor desert place, that barely kept its people fed. Then one day as they were fishing for some food, up from the ground came bubbling crude…black gold, Arab Tea.
In thirty seven years Dubai has grown from an outback fishing and pearling village to a Mega City boasting a lot of its tallest, biggest, weirdest projects. This is a city where Rolls Royce convertibles cruise like golden whales amid shoals of Lamborghinis, Bugattis and Jaguars. This is the city of have it all or have nothing. How did I end up here?
I began the “retail” side of my artistic career after leaving News Ltd after working ten years as an editorial illustrator. I was invited to work in China for a Shanghai-based promotions company. This was the fastest ever training in retail caricature imaginable! Six hours a day, six days a week, each caricature to take no longer than four minutes throughout thirteen cities the length and breadth of China. There are a LOT of people in China and I drew most of them!
I travelled all over South East Asia, India and Turkey, using caricature to connect with people. I continued using my art to travel all over Australia. I was hooked! Soon word got out and I was invited to exhibit and take workshops in countries as different as Bolivia, Spain and Iran.
It seemed the natural way of my life to continue this here in the Middle East. I wanted to find a way to break though the language and cultural barriers in Dubai and to connect with the people that live and work here.
I hooked up with fellow caricature artist, Danesh Mohuiddin and photographer, Kahlil De Pio, and we set out to draw the diverse people of Dubai.The plan was to randomly draw a caricature of whatever face we take a fancy to, and hand it over in return for a smile and a photo.
We began our journey around Dubai at Karama, a popular rundown district for cheap knock off designer gear. A group of trendy Iranian lads jumped at the chance to be drawn. After an hour of drawing high hair, flash T-Shirts and tight jeans we headed to Satwa, another cultural melting pot in Dubai.
We drew the cobblers from Pakistan, cheerful and skillful barbers from Kerala, and energetic bread makers from Iran. Everywhere we gathered a crowd of people all enjoying the show. All of these places are slated to be demolished in Dubai as they rush to cover its land in riches. However, not all riches can be calculated in cash.
We then headed for the Dubai International Finance Centre, the Wizard of Oz temple of Money Making. As expected, this was a harder nut to crack. Eventually they persuaded the suit brigade that they could be drawn by us, WITHOUT any obligation on their part and receive the artwork for free!
Then off to the smelly chaotic Diera Fish Market. Amidst the noisy jostling crowd, caricatures of the fish mongers were created and received with great gusto and shouting.
The fruit market was next. The sellers in their colourful fortresses of fruit were surprised to be entertained by us passing crazy artists.
Finally we arrived at Jumeirah Beach Residences, the new “Happening Place” for trendies, locals, yuppies, families and “People That Need to Be Seen”. We passed these people and headed for the weary construction workers finishing their shift. Our drawing quickly drew a fascinated crowd of on-lookers eager to see what was happening. The workers were energized with the prospect of being drawn and taking home an unexpected gift. Not only did each person receive their caricature for free but the people watching had an opportunity to participate and interact in the creation of the caricature.
On their journey we proved that art can be used to break barriers of language and culture. Art can open up communication between people who might not normally approach each other. We are now inspired to go out into the world with our pen and paper and bring people together. CARICATURISTS FOR PEACE, MAN!
Our next project…we are heading to the Labour Camps, the camel farms, the mosques, the night clubs...you name it we will bust in with pens at the ready and make our mark on Dubai!
Ok..this is not strictly “retail” as this art project is a labour of love. In case you think I am crazy, let me tell you that I also take large chunks of money from rich tourists in return for live caricatures. This seems like a fair ying yang situation to me!
If you want to find where I am working in retail caricature…head over to a little place called Palm Jumeirah. It was created with sand in the shape of a giant palm tree right into the ocean, as you do, here in Dubai. There is a hotel in the middle called Atlantis. Look it up on YouTube. Bit over the top, suits me well. There you will find me, drawing caricatures for rich tourists, dragging in the dirhams to fund my next Caricature Adventure!
See Also
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