A couple of weekends ago I went to the Rude Britannia exhibition at the Tate Britain in London. If you're thinking of going and expect just a bit of Beano or Spider Man comic history then you will be in for quite a suprise. This exhibition will definitely make you squirm a little and be conscious of who's around you... Gasp, cringe or just laugh out loud it will definitely cause a reaction.
The exhibition has been put together by some of the best-known cartoonists and comedy writers and explores British comic art from the 1600s until the present day.
I was so suprised how far satirical and comic art went back, with one sketch of a Lord saying 'Kiss my arse' created in the 17th century! I was impressed by the sheer variety and range of British comic art exhibited, including paintings, sculptures, film, photography and of course graphic art and comic books. It was interesting to see how it all started out and was brought forward by artists like Hogarth. Artists grabbed hold of the greed and self-delusion which characterised their modern consumer society and ridiculed it with no shame.
It was great to see how the art of caricature developed over the centuries. It is now a very widely used art in British public life, with politicians, royalty and celebrities being mocked in magazines and newspapers. There were many pieces of satirical art based around recent politicians. These were very interesting because the artists picked up on those characteristics that make each politician recognisable and exaggerated them to create humour. They picked on specific events and situations and used them within the joke. It is very impressive how caricaturists can express someone's emotion and personality in such a simple drawing. I would love to develop this skill myself...
I really recommend this exhibition if you fancy a bit of giggle, and enjoy naughty British humour.
No comments:
Post a Comment