I first became aware of Sue Coes’ artwork in the 80’s.  Her expressionistic paintings, illustrations and drawings seemed to be omnipresent in the world of downtown Manhattan.  I’d seen posters and placards affixed to buildings on the walls of lower east side buildings, her illustrations on the covers of RAW and X magazine. Her highly political themes pointed to the issues of animal cruelty, factory farming, meat-packing, apartheid, sweat-shops, prisons and AIDS with a dark, expressionistic style, reminiscent of Grosz, Dix , Goya and Soutine. 

“We despair for the fate of animals, the senseless cruelties inflicted upon them by our species, their and our own helplessness in the face of mass slaughter–all this is true. And if we could really see what we have done to the earth, we would go mad. Alongside that is yet another truth: there is a palpable goodness all around us, even in the most terrible times, that all things point to, like the north star. “- Sue Coe

Sue taught courses at Parsons School of Design about social awareness in art. She was elected into the National Academy of Design as an Associate Academician in 1993, and became a full Academician in 1994. She lived and worked in New York City until 2001 and now resides in upstate New York. Her works have been published in Art NewsHer work is represented by Galerie St. Etienne.

Her work is represented by Galerie St. Etienne in New York City.

 

Sources:

Sue Coe: Eyewitness, by Steven Heller, EYE Magazine, Summer 1996 http://www.eyemagazine.com/feature/article/sue-coe-eyewitness

Drawing Attention: Sue Coe, by Sonar Taylor, BOMB Magazine, August 2, 2012 http://bombmagazine.org/article/6696/

Sue Coe, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sue_Coe

Sue Coe, Americans Who Tell The Truth, Robert Shetterly, http://www.americanswhotellthetruth.org/portraits/sue-coe

 

 

 

 

 

“We despair for the fate of animals, the senseless cruelties inflicted upon them by our species, their and our own helplessness in the face of mass slaughter–all this is true. And if we could really see what we have done to the earth, we would go mad. Alongside that is yet another truth: there is a palpable goodness all around us, even in the most terrible times, that all things point to, like the north star. “