
John Gotti grimaces as Sammy “the Bull” Gravano testifies against him, the first Mafia underboss to do so. Work by Ruth Pollack.
We are accustomed to vigorous debates over the value of allowing cameras in courtrooms. (There’s even a seminar at the upcoming State Bar Convention on the topic.) But amidst the conversation, many miss a longtime courtroom element that becomes more and more rare as cameras enter.
Have you already guessed? I’m talking about the courtroom sketch artist.
Many of us (OK, us older folks) are accustomed to viewing courtroom proceedings through the eyes of such artists. But as we are increasingly able to view “the real thing” through camera lenses, fewer news outlets will shell out the expense of a pen-and-ink (or other) artist.
It’s hard to overstate the shame of that. Photography is a terrific medium, but the best courtroom artists use all their skills (and some artistic license) to convey a narrative rather than just a snap of a moment in time.
The remarkable New York Times series called Op-Docs tells the tale of one longtime sketch artist—and the diminishment of media interest in his craft.
If you’d like to see some examples of what we lose when we lost sketch artists, go here.
Finally, go here to read about (and maybe buy) a new book about some of the greatest courtroom artists. It’s called, naturally, The Illustrated Courtroom.
And here’s a great post describing the work of many courtroom artists.
Do you have favorite sketch artists? Will you miss them? Let me know about the most visual trials you never attended in person.
Follow @azatty
May 24, 2014 at 6:53 am
Hello
Thank you for this post. I am the co-author of the courtroom art book you highlighted. The courtroom artist is a dying breed for sure, and this is why it was such a compelling reason to produce the book. These artists have illustrated significant cases and trials that are part of our history. It is important to be able to share this with the public.
Also there is a blog about courtroom art that may interest your audience.
http://www.illustratedcourtroom.blogspot.com,
and a link to the book’s website
http://www.illustratedcourtroom.com
Thank you again for your compelling post.
Elizabeth Williams
May 24, 2014 at 10:52 am
Thank you, Elizabeth. Your book looks wonderful!
May 24, 2014 at 7:08 pm
Thank you!
FYI, linked your blog post to our FB page,
and has had good interest:)
Thanks again!
Cheers!
August 14, 2015 at 9:33 am
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