LEXINGTON, KY.- From the pages of Hunter S. Thompsons work and The New York Times to classics like Alice in Wonderland and Animal Farm, visual storyteller Ralph Steadman has made an undeniable mark on the world of illustration. Art enthusiasts are being treated to an exhibition of works from the artists 65-year career as the
University of Kentucky Art Museum brings Ralph Steadman: A Retrospective to the Bluegrass Feb. 16-May 5.
Combining expressive lines and emphatic ink splatters, Ralph Steadmans work is an immediately recognizable style that has spanned decades. Featuring more than 100 original artworks and prints of Steadmans, this retrospective examines the range of his projects in literature, theatre, television and product design.
With a sardonic eye, and the whip of his pen, Ralph Steadman challenges us to see the world in all its glory, grit, humor and beauty. Viewers of all ages will recognize his work, even if they dont know his name, UK Art Museum Director Stuart Horodner said.
Originally curated in 2013 by Anita O'Brien at Londons Cartoon Museum, and reorganized to travel throughout the U.S. by Sadie Williams, Ralph Steadman Art Collection executive director, the retrospective includes the sketches Steadman created as a student in the 1950s to present day drawings. Also on view are letters, press clippings and materials selected from the artists studio.
Of note to Kentuckians and fans of gonzo journalism, this exhibition features work from Steadmans legendary collaborations with maverick journalist Hunter S. Thompson, including work documenting the Kentucky Derby for an article in Scanlan Monthly in 1970. In addition to his illustrations for Thompsons Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, he also created pieces for Private Eye, Punch, The Observer, The Guardian and Rolling Stone, among others.
While Steadmans work was used to illustrate such literary classics as Treasure Island, he also created images for and authored numerous books of his own for readers of all ages, including Critical Critter, I. Leonardo, Sigmund Freud, Emergency Mouse and No Room to Swing a Cat.
It seems 2019 will truly be a gonzo year for the Commonwealth. In coordination with the exhibition at UK, the Frazier History Museum and the Speed art Museum in Louisville will be hosting exhibitions which look at different aspects of infamous journalist and Kentucky son, Hunter S. Thompson.
Exhibition tour:
1 June - 8 sept 2019 Kansas City Public Library, Missouri
5 Oct 2019 - 20 jan 2020 Jordan Schnitzer Art Museum, Eugene, Oregon