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Wolf Totem

JUNE 25, 2008
I just opened my mail to find a tearsheet (who gets those anymore?) from Standpoint magazine, a wonderful new political publication based in London. Actually, art director Ingrid Shields sent me the whole July issue, and the cover art by Noma Bar is a standout as well. Thought I'd post them both.
The article I was commissioned to illustrate was a book review of Jiang Rong's Wolf Totem, the autobiographical tale that won the 2007 Man Asian Literary Prize, and is a best seller in China. The nomadic life of Inner Mongolia and the bold spirit of the wolves who roam their grasslands, as well as the eventual demise of that culture, are metaphors for Rong's view of contemporary China. I wanted to capture the nobility of the wolf set against the Mongolian foothills, using golfleaf to reinforce both the regal quality and to reflect the graphic nature of traditional Chinese guó huà painting.

This cover double portrait by Noma Bar is amazing in its simplicity, intelligence, and ability to capture the candidates. Wonderful work by the brilliant artist from israel, now living in England.
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