Hofstra University Museum of Art: Political Slant II: Editorial Cartoons

HOFSTRA UNIVERSIT Y MUSEUM

Walt Handelsman (American, b. 1956), 2016 Election Accessories, 2016, digital print, courtesy of the artist, ©2016 by The New Orleans Advocate

October 4, 2016-March 12, 2017 | David Filderman Gallery

This exhibition includes digital prints of editorial cartoons by five contemporary cartoonists: Matt Davies, Walt Handelsman, Mike Keefe, Steve Kelley and Signe Wilkinson. Three wood engravings by 19th century American cartoonist Thomas Nast are also on view. The editorial cartoons focus on presidential election issues such as the political system, violence and terrorism, immigration and refugees.

Editorial cartoonists use elements of caricature (the exaggeration of prominent physical characteristics to humorous effect) and symbolism to convey a specific point of view and to attempt to sway viewers. Editorial cartoonists rely on popular symbols to quickly impart the meaning of their messages. Thomas Nast was the first to use the elephant and the donkey to represent the Republican and Democratic Parties, respectively. These well-known symbols remain understandable to today’s public and can be seen in cartoons by Handelsman and Kelley.

Since the 18th century, editorial cartoons have become a common way of commenting on social and political issues with the intention of changing the reader’s point of view. In the mid-19th century, editorial cartoons were featured regularly in American newspapers and influenced public opinion. While engravers transferred Nast’s drawings to wood – the typical process for printing newspaper images during his lifetime – today’s cartoonists utilize current technology. Most of the cartoonists in the exhibition begin with a hand-drawn sketch. These sketches are then scanned, and additional text, imagery and color are added digitally. The final output is a digital file.

Whatever their purpose – to raise social concerns, to spur people to action, to criticize government actions – editorial cartoons have the ability to bring greater awareness to specific issues, make people think and, perhaps, change people’s minds.

Karen T. Albert

Associate Director of Exhibitions and Collections Hofstra University Museum

Davies, Domestic Terror Fight

Keefe, Poll

Keefe, FBiPhone

Nast, Stranger Things Have Happened

Kelley, Anyone But

Wilkinson, Pope Taking in Refugees

Davies, Mysterious Forces of the Universe

Handelsman, Today’s Top Headline

Handelsman, You’re a Mess!

Wilkinson, Seneca Falls, 1st Women’s Rights Convention Kelley, Robots

Exhibition Checklist • Matt Davies

(English, born 1966) Candidate Wrestling Smackdown, July 7, 2016 Digital print Cleveland RNC*GOP Platform, July 21, 2016 Digital print Democratic National Convention, July 29, 2016 Digital print Domestic Terror Fight, June 16, 2016 Digital print Gun Depot, June 15, 2016 Digital print Millennial Outreach, June 10, 2016 Digital print Mysterious Forces of the Universe, June 6, 2016 Digital print Profiles in Personal Sacrifice, July 31, 2016 Digital print

Walt Handelsman

(American, born 1956) 100 Campaign Days to Go, July 3, 2016 Digital print 2016 Election Accessories, April 8, 2016 Digital print A Chicken in Every Pot, June 21, 2016 Digital print

GOP Summer Workout, June 10, 2016 Digital print Hillary, July 6, 2016 Digital print Today’s Top Headline, June 7, 2016 Digital print You’re a Mess!, May 20, 2016 Digital print

Mike Keefe

(American, born 1946) Culture of Violence, July 9, 2016 Pen and ink, digital print Courtesy of Mike Keefe, The Colorado Independent FBiPhone, February 24, 2016 Pen and ink, digital print Courtesy of Mike Keefe, The Colorado Independent One-Man Band, March 30, 2016 Pen and ink, digital print Courtesy of Mike Keefe, The Colorado Independent Presumptive Nominees, June 8, 2016 Pen and ink, digital print Courtesy of Mike Keefe, The Colorado Independent Poll, March 17, 2016 Pen and ink, digital print Courtesy of Mike Keefe, The Colorado Independent Safety Tip, July 20, 2016 Pen and ink, digital print Courtesy of Mike Keefe, The Colorado Independent

Trump and Vets, August 3, 2016 Pen and ink, digital print Courtesy of Mike Keefe, The Colorado Independent

Stranger Things Have Happened.

Harper’s Weekly, 1879 Wood engraving Courtesy of Hofstra University Libraries Special Collections

Steve Kelley

War. Military Glory.

Harper’s Weekly, 1870 Wood engraving Courtesy of Hofstra University Libraries Special Collections

(American, born 1959) Anyone But, March 31, 2016 Digital print Clinton Foundation Donation, August 4, 2016 Digital print Insensitive to Hispanics, June 7, 2016 Digital print Robots, June 9, 2016 Digital print Terrorism/Orlando, June 15, 2016 Digital print

Signe Wilkinson

(American, born 1959) Benghazi Report, June 3, 2016 Digital print Pope Taking in Refugees, April 22, 2016 Digital print

Warning, July 7, 2016 Digital print

Seneca Falls, 1st Women’s Rights Convention, 1848, June 8, 2016 Digital print

Thomas Nast

Syrian President Assad, May 6, 2016 Digital print

(American, 1840-1902) The New Comet - A Phenomenon Now Visible in All Parts of the United States. Harper’s Weekly, 1870 Wood engraving Courtesy of Hofstra University Libraries Special Collections

Taxation without Representation, April 17, 2016 Digital print Trump’s Wall, August 7, 2016 Digital print

with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature

© 2016 Hofstra University Museum. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of the Hofstra University Museum.

68904:9/16

Glass Ceiling, June 8, 2016 Digital print

All works are 11 inches by 17 inches and courtesy of the artist, unless otherwise noted.