From the 1959 debut of the Asterix and Obelix comics to its induction into Paris’ famed Louvre museum, cartoons have certainly come a long way from being a mere adolescent pastime, ands has long become a serious medium of artistic expression. The same could be said for the opening of two exhibitions at Toronto’s Cooper Cole Gallery: Marc Bell’s No Jabronis and Todd James’s Splash Damage.
Take James, whose work appears to be nothing more than crude and vulgar renditions, similar to Keith Haring’s pop art style. The recurrent motifs of the stereotypically unintelligent blonde engaging in vice, the poker face chain-smoking cats, and the carefree Somali pirate drinking tea in Splash Damage leave much to be desired.
Todd James’s 123 Here We Go. MEDIA PHOTO
Although whimsical at best, James’ Splash Damage touches upon a provocative theme that seems to be lost on his larger-than-life subjects: a world gone mad.
In Splash Damage, James’ incorporation of oil pastels and lead has a child-like quality. However, when used to create something such as a cartoon-version of an AK-47, these features become double-edged metaphors of the obliviousness and recklessness of violence prevalent in society.
Bell’s solo exhibition, No Jabronis, is a far cry from James’s Splash Damage in terms of political underpinnings and creative approach.
Influenced by expressionist artist Christian Schumann, Bell created four complex drawings that depict surreal and comical landscapes, which serve as a backdrop for his creative universe.
Unlike James, Bell’s focus was not so much an exploration of the sociopolitical connotations of art as it was a celebration of the imagination of the artist.
He opted to include “a collection of many subjects,” including many famous real-life places and attractions — such as the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Ontario College of Art and Design — and gave them a unique “cartoon-y” twist by placing them in comical and
lighthearted environments.
At this point, it’s no surprise that one would take note of the explicit relationship between No Jabronis and John Keats’s 1819 poem Ode to Psyche; the latter attempts to celebrate the creative ingenuity of the artist by illustrating the ways in which he or she can delve into the imaginary world of his or her literary masterpiece through aesthetic means.
Marc Bell’s Mr Giant Stroller. MEDIA PHOTOS
As with Psyche, Bell celebrates the creative ingenuity of the artist — breaking down the barrier between reality and fantasy by creating a lighthearted and comical landscape, where his subjects are free to roam.
James and Bell have certainly proved that the cartoon genre is a serious medium, capable of conveying the depictions of the grim reality that we are too often confronted with.
Both artists’ exhibitions continue at the Copper Cole Gallery until December 7, 2013. For more information, click here.
