Something Else to Think About 1941

Curator: Here we have Clifford Kennedy Berryman's 1941 ink drawing, "Something Else to Think About." It depicts Mahatma Gandhi writing at the bottom with a massive tank looming behind him. What strikes you initially about this piece? Editor: Well, the sheer weight of that tank visually crushes everything beneath it. The cross-hatching gives the metal an imposing density, highlighting the materiality of war itself. There's a brutal contrast between the instruments of peace and violence. Curator: Absolutely. Berryman crafted this political cartoon during a tumultuous period—just before the U.S. entered World War II. We must consider the historical tensions and shifting global power dynamics at play. It is layered in meanings about America’s role in aiding Britain, and Gandhi's simultaneous appeals to non-violence. Editor: Precisely. The means of production, these war machines, are being directly juxtaposed with Gandhi’s non-violent philosophy, which itself has specific material realities and is rooted in localized practice. He's seated on the ground, writing by hand. It points out an undeniable disparity. Curator: It's also about the politics of representation. How does the U.S. press and political landscape portray Gandhi? There is a great irony because he holds a sign urging "America [to] think 50 times before giving further aid to Britain." Berryman spotlights the complexity, or even hypocrisy, of isolationist sentiments. Editor: Yes, and there is a tangible sense of urgency in Berryman's ink work; frantic energy. This contrasts with Gandhi's posture of serene concentration despite the very loud statement that looming Nazi tank makes. How do these elements play off one another, commenting on the labor involved, on both sides? Curator: Berryman, in his cartoon, forces a recognition of these vastly different approaches to resistance and geopolitics, raising pertinent questions about the complexities of allegiance, ethics, and the encroaching global conflict. It speaks to the need for America to consider multiple vantage points before acting. Editor: A potent and disquieting piece indeed, urging us to ponder the true costs of even the most high-minded ideals during moments of massive material transformation and conflict. It’s about the material reality of war, weighed against pacifism.