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A SENSE OF HUMOR WHEN ECONOMIC TIMES ARE TOUGH—
THE MORGAN LIBRARY & MUSEUM PRESENTS
NEW YORKER CARTOON EXHIBITION "ON THE MONEY"
January 23 through May 24, 2009
Show Features Luminaries of the Craft and
Their Insightful Takes on Boom and Bust
** Press Preview: Thursday, January 22, 2009, 10 a.m. until noon **
New York, NY, November 17, 2008—Celebrating the art of the cartoonist, On the Money: Cartoons for The New Yorker features approximately eighty original drawings by some of The New Yorker's most talented and beloved artists who have tackled the theme of money and the many ways in which it defines us. Included in the show are drawings by such luminaries as Charles Barsotti, George Booth, Dana Fradon, Lee Lorenz, William Hamilton, and J. B. Handelsman. The exhibition is on view only at the Morgan from January 23 through May 24, 2009.
The works are drawn entirely from the collection of Melvin R. Seiden, a longtime supporter of the Morgan, who has assembled one of the largest and most representative private selections of this art form which spans the history of The New Yorker. The Seiden collection of New Yorker cartoons, numbering nearly 1,500 sheets, complements the Morgan's holdings in the history of satire and humor, which range from the Renaissance to the twentieth century. Following the great cartoonists of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries—including James Gillray, H. K. Browne a.k.a. Phiz, and Honoré Daumier, in whose works the Morgan's collection is particularly rich—the artists represented in this exhibition continue the thread of chronicling contemporary attitudes.
Since 1925 The New Yorker magazine has served as the leading forum for American cartoonists to reflect and comment on the nation's social and cultural environment. Their work provides amusement and constitutes a mirror of social conventions that remain relevant. The drawings in On the Money include a selection of works from the magazine's early years as well as contributions from cartoonists working during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, when financial issues were among the dominant themes of many cartoons. Subjects such as politics, sex, inheritance, and real estate demonstrate the impact of money on individual lives, while the shared experience of recessions and booms provides inspiration for broader treatments of the theme. Finding humor in money and the economy has been a mainstay of New Yorker artists, and the cartoons continue to engage viewers.
The artistry of the works reveals the eloquent and efficient draftsmanship essential to a successful cartoon as well as the artists' process of creating and revising an incisive, humorous vignette. The exhibition also delineates the critical role of the cartoon editor, whose work is essential to the reader's enjoyment. A selection of cartoons that were improved by editorial recommendations is accompanied by equally amusing correspondence between editor and artist about achieving the perfect union between word and image. Also featured in the exhibition are photographic portraits by Anne Hall of many of the artists behind the cartoons.
"The Morgan is deeply grateful to Mel Seiden for allowing us to share with the public the original drawings for these wonderful cartoons," said William M. Griswold, Director of The Morgan Library & Museum. "New Yorker cartoonists have always been able to make us smile, even during some of our most turbulent economic, political, and social times. It is both enlightening and entertaining to see that fundamental themes such as money have been addressed by these visual satirists with keen insight and fresh perspective."
Drawings by the following artists are included in the exhibition: Ed Arno; Perry Barlow (1892–1977); Charles Barsotti; George Booth; Roz Chast; Tom Cheney; Richard Cline; Frank Cotham; Leo Cullum; Whitney Darrow Jr. (1909–1999); Joseph Farris; Ed Fisher; Dana Fradon; William Hamilton; J. B. Handelsman (1922–2007); Helen E. Hokinson (1893–1949); Stan Hunt (1929–2006); Lee Lorenz; Michael Maslin; Joe Mirachi (1920–1991); W.B. Park; George Price (1902–1995); Donald Reilly (1933–2006); Mischa Richter (1910–2001); Carl Rose; Bernard Schoenbaum; Peter Steiner; Mick Stevens; James Stevenson; Mike Twohy; Robert Weber; Gluyas Williams (1888–1982); and Jack Ziegler.
The exhibition is organized by Jennifer Tonkovich, Curator, Drawings and Prints, The Morgan Library & Museum.
This exhibition is generously supported by Liz and Rod Berens.
CastleRock Asset Management is the corporate sponsor.
PUBLIC PROGRAMS
Lectures
"The Past, Present, and Future of Cartooning at The New Yorker Magazine"
Robert Mankoff
New Yorker cartoon editor Robert Mankoff investigates how humor changes over time and how the times change humor.
Thursday, February 12, 6:30 PM
Three Paths to The New Yorker: Roz Chast, Arnie Levin, and David Sipress
Three New Yorker cartoonists discuss their backgrounds, schooling, and career experiences in a lively roundtable moderated by fellow cartoonist and retired art editor Lee Lorenz.
Wednesday, March 18, 6:30 PM
At the Pearly Gates: Judgment, Heaven, and Hell in The New Yorker
Walter Cahn
In a richly illustrated lecture, Walter Cahn, Carnegie Professor of the History of Art (emeritus), Yale University, explores the imagery and views of the hereafter in our own time. Largely a product of the Middle Ages, these depictions surprisingly share the pages of The New Yorker with more familiar satires on the foibles of doctors, lawyers, or twenty-somethings, among other hilarious subjects. Presented in cooperation with the International Center of Medieval Art.
Tuesday, April 21, 6:30 PM
Films
To coincide with the exhibition On the Money: Cartoons for The New Yorker, these two documentaries delve into the world of the cartoonist and observe the artist at work.
Funny Business
(2009, 57 minutes)
Director: Lyda Ely
What compels a person to become a cartoonist? And what does it take to succeed? Travel into the studios of some of the most celebrated cartoonists for The New Yorker magazine for an insider's look at a previously unexamined world. Artists featured include George Booth, Roz Chast, Sam Gross, Ed Koren, Robert Mankoff, Arnie Levin, Lee Lorenz, Victoria Roberts, and David Sipress. Director Lyda Ely introduces this special screening.
Friday, May 15, 7 PM
Gahan Wilson: Born Dead, Still Weird
(2007, 98 minutes)
Director: Steven-Charles Jaffe
Jaffe's moving documentary takes a penetrating look into the life and work of legendary cartoonist Gahan Wilson, whose often subversive and somewhat ghoulish drawings have appeared in The New Yorker, Playboy, and National Lampoon, and Paris Match. Featuring interviews with comedians, filmmakers, fellow artists, and admirers, including Stephen Colbert, Randy Newman, Hugh Hefner, Guillermo Del Toro, David Remnick, and Roz Cha
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