Michael Morgenstern News

New Work

2011-12-30T07:07:00.000-08:00

I illustrated this for Zwierciadlo magazine. The article discusses the idea of how we live in a "myth" where our lives are wrapped in material consumption.

Here's a recent illustration I created for The Economist about the question of foreign commitment in Afghanistan. The article conveys a stoic attitude on the part of the people: "seeing is believing", and time will tell.

This piece for The Economist is titled: "Tried and found wanting; Asia’s dismal record on tackling war crimes is an indicator of illiberalism".

This piece for The Chronicle Review is about the need to confront our inner judgments about students with disabilities that we hide from ourselves.

Busy Season

2011-10-28T09:49:00.000-07:00

Autumn has been a busy time for illustration....

An illustration for the Polish fashion magazine, Zwierciadlo, about masculinity in the modern age, from of a series of interviews with the Polish author/psychologist Wojciech Eichelberger.

"Religion", for Zwierciadlo.

A cover for Beloit College's Fall/Winter '11 issue

"A Multi-Dimensional Challenge for Black Colleges", the Chronicle of Higher Education.

SCIENCE NEWS COVER

2011-09-19T12:36:00.000-07:00

Here is a new cover I created for Science News, about genetic research and cancer. Though the idea was to portray the cancer cells as misshapen and malignant, I think the texture and colors gave it a certain beauty.

In the clouds with Computerworld

2011-07-19T10:22:00.001-07:00

The challenge was to show how the clunky old mainframes of yesterday will be running the suave, clean, cloud technology of today. It has a little bit of a Terry Gilliam feeling to it.

New illustrations for The Economist

2011-07-01T14:44:00.000-07:00

Here are a few favorite Banyan illustrations for the Banyan column published in June.

"Friends like these"

"The great wave"

A Spring Cover for Kellogg School of Management

2011-05-16T13:12:00.000-07:00

Here is a cover that I recently illustrated for Kellogg World Alumni Magazine, of the cutting-edge Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. The feature, titled "Ideas in Motion" presents the trends and challenges that managers will face in the coming decades. My challenge for this cover was to illustrate the idea of growth, momentum, and positivity.

A cover for The Economist: butterflies in a bamboo forest

2011-03-14T05:31:00.000-07:00

I had the priviledge of illustrating the cover for this week’s Economist, titled “Bamboo capitalism”. There are businessmen steering red butterflies through a thriving bamboo forest. The image is meant to show how the enterpreneurial spirit of individual businessmen is what drives China’s rapid growth and productivity. Kudos to the keen artistic vision and collaboration of Graeme James, Art director.

Silver award for "Best Use of Digital Imagery" at Folio

2011-02-10T09:55:00.000-08:00

My illustration for Computerworld’s December cover and inside spread won the silver award for Best Use of Digital Imagery, B–to-B at the 2010 Folio Eddie and Ozzie award ceremonies. The challenge was to illustrate today’s early pioneers embracing cloud computing. Many thanks to April Montgomery for her excellent art direction and beautiful layout.

Illustrating the ironic, for the Economist

2011-01-13T08:32:00.000-08:00

In this week's Banyan column (for The Economist) I had the opportunity to work with the title, "The importance of being insincere". Everybody knows that North Korea doesn't plan to get rid of it's nukes, but all parties play along with the game of sitting down to talks, as if it might.

At first I thought to show "insincerity" by crossing the fingers of the hand that is extending a flower of peace or a gift, etc. And maybe have a nuke hidden up his sleeve. But then - how to show suspension of disbelief? I thought what if I added a sixth finger to the hand? That would make things seem normal at a glance but not upon careful observation. Also, there's a similarity in shape between nukes and fingers. So again, the suggestion of something being hidden, in full site.

Selected for Luerzer's Archive 200 Best Illustrators of 2011

2010-12-31T10:50:00.000-08:00

Two of my illustrations for the Economist were selected for Luerzer's Archive "200 Best Illustrators of 2011", scheduled for publication in February 2011.

Illustrating Holocaust Denial for the Chronicle

2010-11-29T10:32:00.000-08:00

for the Chronicle Review

Here is a recent illustration that was commissioned by Ellen Winkler at The Chronicle Review. The subject is Holocaust denial and the issue of free speech in academia. It was gratifying to give visual support to the viewpoint that takes a strong stance against hate speech and distortion of fact.

A Special report on the world economy, for the Economist Magazine

2010-10-31T13:43:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to create several illustrations for the Economist's Special Report on the world Economy, just released.

Stimulated Brain for Johns Hopkins Magazine

2010-08-31T13:50:00.000-07:00

Here is an image I recently created for Johns Hopkins for an article about stimulating the brain.

SCIENCE NEWS COVER

2010-07-01T08:32:00.000-07:00

Science News invited me to illustrate their June cover about manipulating the climate using geoengineering techniques. There's a science fiction-like aspect to controlling nature with technology. According to the article this idea is starting to be discussed seriously.

Here are some of my sketches....

Banyan: Things Fall apart in Japan

2010-05-10T15:12:00.000-07:00

Things Fall Apart in Japan, The Economist

For the Economist's latest commentary on Japan, I used crumbling ladders to symbolize Japan's fragmenting party system. The article presents the irony of too many leaders striving for the top, without enough popular support to sustain the old or new parties. I placed one large broken ladder in the center of the image, framing the large red sun against the white sky - the symbol of the Japanese flag.

American Illustration Chosen 28

2010-02-09T07:53:00.001-08:00

"Runner", a personal piece

"Where have all your savings gone?" a cover for The Economist

Two of my images were chosen for the American illustration 28 web gallery.

The Bubbles and the Cat

2010-01-31T12:44:00.000-08:00

Japan's Love Bubbles for China, The Economist

The warming outreach of Japan's Hatayama toward China is discussed in this week's Banyan column as a naive misstep for regional security. The visual challenge was to illustrate how Japan's "bubbles of love" are too trustingly offered. I pictured a cat - powerful, independent & unpredictable, on the receiving end. (article)

The Books of Slaughter and Forgetting

2010-01-21T08:29:00.000-08:00

for The Economist

How to illustrate the dangers of history being silenced ? In this week's Economist (Banyan column), the writer emphasizes the danger of the Indonesian government's banning books, especially books about past atrocities. In my illustration I wanted to symbolize the books as birds, showing that freedom of expression, especially when facing one's own history, is essential for a real democracy. The danger in shooting down those birds is that it allows history to repeat itself. (article)

for the Writer's Guild

2010-01-04T16:38:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of illustrating for the WGA's magazine, Written by. The feature article is about internet freedom. The author compares the web to great inventions of the past. He challenges that if the printing press had been placed under strict control, would we have experienced the renaissance that followed?

Earth Island Cover

2009-09-17T21:17:00.001-07:00

Here is a cover I just illustrated for Earth Island Journal.

Drawing Dreams Foundation

2009-08-21T08:21:00.000-07:00

The Drawing Dreams Foundation invited me to join their artists' website. Drawing Dreams is a nonprofit organization that promotes children's art. see website

Malaysia's Chameleon | The Economist

2009-08-13T13:59:00.000-07:00

Malaysia's chameleon/The Economist

The smooth talking politician Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia is portrayed as a chameleon in the Economist's Banyan column. I used a spoon to show his "silver tongue". article

India's hamstrung visionary/The Economist

Last week's Banyan shows how the Indian prime minister, Manmohan Singh's forward momentum is hampered by his own countrymen. The wheel and background colors are elements of the Indian flag. article

SPEAK Cover Gets Around

2009-07-20T05:39:00.000-07:00

Speak

My cover for the young adult classic, SPEAK was licensed for the Italian edition of the novel by Giunti Editore publishers. The novel by Lori Halse Anderson has been translated into numerous foreign editions, and the original cover art also appears in the UK, German, French, Slovak, Swedish, Finnish, Taiwaneese, Hungarian and South Korean editions.

Illustrating the Banyan Column for The Economist

2009-07-17T09:26:00.000-07:00

Burying Asia's Savage Past | The Economist

I've been illustrating the weekly "Banyan" column for the Economist, on the subject of Asian politics. The topics lend themselves well to conceptual illustration.

The party goes on | The Economist

After Tiananmen, who would think that China's Communist Party would grow in popularity? I tried to convey this irony. Here's a link to the article.