Every Saturday, we’ll be posting a new illustration by David Lester. The Mecca Normal guitarist is visually documenting people, places and events from his band’s 29-year run, with text by vocalist Jean Smith.
In 2009, David Lester featured Malachi Ritscher in his ongoing poster series called Inspired Agitators. Malachi (18” x 28”) is currently in the 2014 Whitney Biennial as a component of the Public Collectors exhibit about Malachi Ritscher.
David Lester: “I created the Inspired Agitators poster series as a form of graphic social protest to present the ideas and lives of activists and artists that I admire. As well as Malachi, the series includes John Heartfield, Howard Zinn, Paul Robeson, John Coltrane and Meredith Monk.
Expressions of protest can be difficult and tragic, but reflect the passion, rage and eloquence that citizens feel. As singer Phil Ochs said, “The true protest is beauty.”
“1922,” from The Observer (Kill Rock Stars, 2006) (download):
