The New York Times includes contributions from artists in its Opinion pages, a practice I wish many newspapers followed. These contributions are called
“Op-Art” and consist of artwork that stands by itself, unlike the usual spot illustrations used to accompany articles. You can say that in the “op-art” pieces, the artist is the columnist. The column just happens to be drawn, not written.
An Op-Art columnist I’ve been following recently is Jason Polan, who makes delightful annotated drawings of everything he sees. Seeing his work makes me want to start drawing everything compulsively. It also makes me want to slow down and appreciate the little things in life. His column is called “Things I Saw.” You can see more of his work at jasonpolan.com.
