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We all know that nothing is perfect. Our modern society included. Many things are problematic and troubling, and even though we notice them, we are not too fast to work on fixing pressing social issues.

Al Margen, an illustrator from Buenos Aires, Argentina, creates depressing drawings pinpointing the world problems of our times. He creates dark drawings that are sometimes louder than words and are extremely thought-provoking. The author himself is very critical about his works and talks about them in a really artistic manner: "They are children of boredom, nonconformity or anger. <...> They are the representation of discarded ideas. They are the garbage of the subconscious. But they are more visceral and sincere than other sad drawings because they have no obligation to please. <...> Because they were born only by an impulse and nothing more. Because they were born to annoy because they show the problems with society."

Take a look at some of his satirical works on social problems below and let us know which one was your favorite.

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#3

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varwenea
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7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A viewer/reader needs to be judicious on how they process info. Information is rarely absolute. Hero and villain are often opposite sides of the same coin; just a matter of perspective.

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Princess Jade
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Idk what's worse this or having a parent that wouldnt let me just try s**t out, if I wasnt going to commit 110% then I wasnt allowed to do it... Unless it was something my mum WANTED me to do (read: stuff she wanted to leatn herself but wouldn't just go out and learn)

Joanna Lagey
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This hit me the hardest, my thoughts about my grandson entirely.

Hikari
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This was me in high school, plus all of the academic clubs. Not worth the resulting stress and mental illness.

Jim Peploe
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You will crush your children with the weight of your expectations.

Michelle Sweeney
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The extra-curricular activities are the most creative and sadly lacking in society. The mandatory requirements are the lies...

Lyn Limpert
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It is the repetition of commitment and concentration that helps a young mind grow enough to compete, but it is play that grows empathy.

Valerie Treichel
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Many parents are absolutely cuckoo. As a high school teacher...I’ve seen it up close.

J.L. Reign
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The demands of colleges and expectations of parents are beyond overwhelming! Parent's need to let their children decide their path and their interests.

Raul de Vera Jr.
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For me, this is the most significant illustration of all. In the age of specialization, youths should be allowed to choose the careers they wanted to and taught with all the related subjects therein. It is understandable how much we all need to study and understand the general subjects of mathematics, science, arts and music, basically speaking. But it is pointless to commercialize the profession of education or teaching by putting so much useless subjects in the minds of our youth.

Matt McNeil
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So true. The cross was a major part of my education at school for 10 years, religion being shoved down my throat, teaching students not to think for themselves. I left Christianity after graduation.

Mindi Oakes
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Poor kids! Never enough play time. Never enough daydream Tim. Have to memorize so much info in school that they aren't interested in and may never use. What are we REALLY teaching them that even WE don't realize?!

Diane Phillips
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

All of us are human beings. We are not robots. We think, we feel, we embrace life!

Koko Sempai
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is very relatable to me. People expects us to do all these things and be an adult even though we are being treated as kids. (T - T )

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Alia Gail
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7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I hate seeing old buildings knocked down, or old businesses going out, or anything like that. It makes me so sad.

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Tina Nebiolo
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7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When the mind's defense mechanism is to drown the possibility of thoughts in music.

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Kane Cheung
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Peace does not always bring about freedom. And not hard to become a prisoner of peace. Bane said it best, victory has defeated you.

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Rogue Angel
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It all comes down to fame and fortune. The artist makes the music the audience wants, becoming his audience and losing himself, then he fades into oblivion and is forgotten.

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Stefania PiovPr
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7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think , socety tries to make you look mad if you have different opinions ...or ideas

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Allie Orona
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's hard to be a kid in a money-less family, when the parents won't change their lifestyles to the lesser amount of money they now have. You have to give up so much of yourself to try to make things better, as far as money goes, and it all goes down the drain anyway. It really, really sucks.

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Ποιητικό Αίτιο
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7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Look at that. He's only chained by his mind. His feet and arms are let free. And the chains leading to his mind are connected to negligible obstacles. It's the mind that's keeping you away from love...

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Rogue Angel
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Shackled to the internet. So true. So many people live their lives on the Net, they forget there's a life away from it.

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Alex Libre
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think it's more to do with stereotyping and how we view people based on a few arbitrary "defining" characteristics. Rich people are greedy, fat people only think about food, police officers are just out to stop people from having fun, and a beautiful woman is just a beautiful body. Flawed thinking.

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Edouard Youssef
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7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The one think too much of the past, the other one is embarrassed by the future and the third one can't live the present day, so they all come here to take their "carpe diem" pils...

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Cheryl Adams
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Turn off consumer mentality. We're supposed to care for the earth, not consume it.

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Martin Forbes
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

With these drawings, as I believe most of us get what the artist is trying to say here, its clear that we really are in a dystopian society and we just don't see it because we don't want to see it. sigh...

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Danielle Scott
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Really? I see power stripping away dignity, strength, and freedom from helpless individuals & obliterating them

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Kari Ann Popovic
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How about he who has help and access to better technology is going to produce more than one who's working with old technology on their own. It's about the inherent advantages in the class disparity that leads those who don't even see what they have as an advantage to think they're simply better, or that others are less: less clever, less creative, less able.

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Jacqui O'Rhea
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Love is blind. You will open the door to your heart and let them walk right in if you don't know the person and only go by appearances, and they could be hiding their intent to do you harm.

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Jessica Roose
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Dude takes pills either for drug addiction or Rx and it alters his state of mind so that he is unable to write. Everything that comes from him goes to waste hence the trashcan

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Jacqui O'Rhea
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Finger nails have a nail bed, so the roses under the nail of the fingers with wedding rings are "a bed of roses". The barbed wire represents a prison you can't escape from. What they though was bliss when they got married turns out to be a life sentence. The man and woman are popping up from a toaster. They are done, dry. Their love has dried up. From her head is a spool of silk. A spring silkworm produces silk until it dies. There is a Chinese thought that likewise, giving one's thought to another person is like a spring silkworm producing silk until it dies. He has a banana on his head. There is a book called Mr. Bananahead at Home about Mr. Bananahead who tries hard to do all the chores on Mrs. Bananahead's list but can't get them right. So the symbolism on their heads means even though they both have tried to to please each other, in the end it is no good, if that is all they do. It is too consuming and they dry up as people.

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cyberbird
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, instead of commiting suicide, he prefers to destroy his memories. Nice move.

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Nickie Pacheco
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The life of social media. Everyone posts looking for validation via likes. Only to find opposition from people close to them.

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Jessica Roose
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She is a prostitute. Her tongue holds powerful men in her prison. Bc with the ability to blackmail she has power over them with the words she speaks. The only one who pleases her is her drugs where she can find escape from what it is she does.

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Arshad Ali
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ayer means yesterday in Spanish and his mind is a pencil being shaven (wasting away) because all he can focus on is the past.

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Cala Sophia
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7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She looks at him as her knight in shining armor. She sees the man as her warrior, her savior. People generally look to other people to complete them.

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