Work of American artist Ben Shahn is the topic of Oct. 8 Fine Arts lecture

Wednesday, October 1, 2003, By News Staff

Work of American artist Ben Shahn is the topic of Oct. 8 Fine Arts lectureOctober 01, 2003Kelly Homan Rodoskikahoman@syr.edu

The Department of Fine Arts in Syracuse University’s College of Arts and Sciences is sponsoring a public lecture by Gerald Cinamon on Oct. 8. He will speak on “Ben Shahn, Lettering Into Art,” beginning at 7 p.m. in Kittredge Auditorium, located in Huntington Beard Crouse Hall. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Shahn (1898-1969), a major American artist of the mid-20th century, was a photographer, illustrator, painter, printmaker, muralist, moralist and social activist. He used letterforms in his work, incorporating handwriting, typography and stylized letters from several cultures. Cinamon will discuss numerous examples of Shahn’s work, including the Sacco and Vanzetti mural that is on the exterior east wall of Huntington Beard Crouse Hall.

A resident of London, Cinamon was head of design at Penguin Books for many years. He is a much-published historian of graphic design.

Call the Department of Fine Arts at 443-4184 for more information