In support of “Edo Pop: The Graphic Impact of Japanese Prints,” the MIA welcomed two contemporary artists working in the generative and iterative form of graphic novels and manga as artists in residence. Camilla d’Errico and Joshua Dysart create narrative worlds that bridge traditional Japanese graphics and contemporary pop aesthetic. Their 10-day visit to the MIA was punctuated by a number of public events targeted to youth and young adult audiences, including live drawing sessions for Family Day and youth classes, as well as a panel discussion presentation for Third Thursday and artist-to-artist video interviews.
In a review of their work on musician Avril Lavigne’s Make 5 Wishes manga, The Comics Journal characterized Dysart and d’Errico’s work as follows:
“Dysart’s and d’Errico’s story works because they have a fairly keen understanding both of the adult world’s various complications and the inability of most teenagers to comprehend them. Camilla d’Errico’s art, a style somewhere between manga standard and Sam Kieth’s bittersweet cartoon linework creates a world that looks eerily like Margaret Keane characters trapped in an Ingmar Bergman film.”
- The Comics Journal
Beyond his work with d’Errico, Dysart has received rave reviews for his work on the DC/Vertigo comic series Unknown Soldier, including features in the New York Times Book Review section, multiple Eisner Award nominations for best story, and most recently the 2011 GLYPH award as Best Writer. This additional credit not only ties this artist to the “Edo Pop” exhibition, but also creates relates to works in the Africa galleries and to displaced communities.
