Washington Square Marchers Melanie Reim
Varoom magazine regularly covers reportage illustration. In issue 35 of Varoom magazine Derek Brazell selected Melanie Reim’s drawings from the 2016 USA elections which saw Donald Trump elected.
Protest brings people together over many shared issues from both sides of the debate. As we are all aware, the USA Presidential elections (in 2016) have polarized opinion, leaving people either horrified or triumphant, and have sent shock waves around the world as events and the potential repercussions of those events sink in.
‘Not My President’ Trump Tower
Amongst those keen to respond to the election and the reaction to it was Melanie Reim. Conscious that this was going to be a momentous occasion, Reim had planned on documenting the unfolding story of the day with her illustrator friend Veronica Lawlor, from voting in New York to attending an event at Javits Center and ultimately hanging out with a Hillary Clinton supporting crowd at Clyde Frazier’s Bar to watch the results unfold on screen.
Reim drew throughout that day and evening (“Being there to document the visceral reaction to the news as it unfolded was so hard, but so necessary.”), and following the Trump win continued to document the anti President elect protests in Washington Square Park and at Trump Tower. Speaking of the Love Rally held at the Park she said it was “kind, compassionate, empowering,” but still affected by the shock and sadness generated by the election results. “I will keep finding ways to speak through drawing,” she says, “Find your way.”
Black Lives Matter
As a witness to the events, Reim’s rapidly drawn images capture the atmosphere, tension, passion and action of the protest marches following the more enclosed moments of Election Day. The tangible sensation of being there is captured through her careful positioning at the scene. Her enthusiasm for reportage encapsulated with the rallying call, “Get in the middle of it all and draw!”