LONDON.- The first selling exhibition of original artworks by the legendary artist and writer Ralph Steadman (b.1936) in 30 years will open in London this autumn.

Out of Line will survey Steadman’s prolific career - from the late 1950s and early 1960s, when he drew humorous cartoons for the Manchester Evening Chronicle, Punch and newly founded Private Eye magazine, to his observations on American culture during the 1970s and 1980s and scathing visual commentaries on domestic politics in the late 1990s. Plus, of course, his iconic work with the late Hunter S. Thompson (1937-2005).

“Ralph has been hugely prolific throughout his long career and still draws every day,” explains Annunciata, one half of the husband-and-wife team behind TIN MAN ART. “With Out of Line, we wanted to present a broad survey of his oeuvre, so from an absolutely vast portfolio, working closely with Ralph’s daughter Sadie Williams, Director of the Ralph Steadman Art Collection, we selected 27 pieces.”

Seen together, these works show Steadman, who turned 90 earlier this year, as an era-defining legend. This landmark exhibition represents an opportunity to see these original artworks ‘in the flesh’, in many instances, for the first time since they were originally published.

Among the many highlights of the exhibition, Steadman’s legions of fans will be delighted to see several artworks linking the artist with his great Gonzo collaborator, Hunter S. Thompson. These include Hunter on Acetate (1995), which captures the writer in his trademark hat, and the vibrant acrylic and ink Hunter as the Dalai Lama (2000).





“He is an icon… his mad jargon a paragon of artistic brilliance,” observed Johnny Depp of Steadman, whom he counts as a friend. The actor starred in the cult 1998 film Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and 2011’s The Rum Diary, both adaptations of Thompson novels. The design for the latter movie’s promotional poster is included in the exhibition line up.

While he will be forever synonymous with Fear and Loathing, Steadman has also enjoyed a prolific career as a witty, unflinching observer of politics and society, at home and abroad. Echoing Leonardo da Vinci, Steadman presented then Prime Minister Tony Blair as Vitruvian Man, or Vitruvian Tony (2004-2005). Leonardo’s presence is also evident in the satirical The Adoration of the Maggie (1983), demonstrating what he thought of the almost cult-like levels of devotion, or sycophancy, the ‘Iron Lady’ Margaret Thatcher commanded in her heyday. Meanwhile, the 1997 rise of Blair and New Labour is represented in The Floatless Voter and The Candidates (1997).

Across the pond, Money Changers on the San Ysidro Boulevard (1984) offers Steadman’s reaction to seeing the Mexican border, where signs promoting a multitude of Bureaux de Change and their exchange rates festooned San Ysidro Boulevard. Even one of the locals has been stamped with a price. Summer Evening Scene in SE Dallas ’73 is equally powerful.

Throughout, the themes Steadman documented so distinctively with his pens and brushes decades ago, remain eerily prescient, perhaps especially The Peacekeepers are coming! (1983), which satirises the horrors of military intervention.

Annunciata says: “Through his seven-decade long career, Ralph Steadman has created a visual history of society for everyone alive today, whether they are aware of it or not. Anyone old enough to remember reading 1950s newspaper broadsheets and those who spot the eerie echo of 1970s Gonzo journalism in today’s political sphere, through to 1990s film buffs and young art fair goers who are drawn to his style, affectionately recognising it from the books they loved in childhood – they are all a part of his journey. It is enormously exciting to have these original artworks out in the wild and exhibited together for the first time. They offer a tantalising glimpse of a storied career.”

Sadie Williams, Ralph Steadman's daughter says: "We are excited to partner with TIN MAN ART on this exhibition. It presents a diverse selection of artworks, most of which have only ever been seen once in print. It is a rare opportunity to own some significant Steadman artworks and appreciate his creative development."