From Lines to Laughs: Women+ on Men

Cartoonists are instinctive observers.  It is an art form that  tells us about ourselves, and helps us see the things we do in our day-to-day lives.  Most of us are unaware, however, that it is the job of the cartoonist to notice. While making us laugh, these drawings reveal absurdities in relationships and imbalances in gender politics.  For centuries, humor has been dominated by male artists; this has changed.  More and more women and non-binary artists are joining the ranks of visual humorists, expressing what they see, all the while making us laugh. Some of our subjects are men.  This is what this exhibit is about, how women+ make fun of men, lovingly and truthfully.  It’s our turn.

This explosion of women and non-binary cartoon artists is now visible in all areas of graphic humor; this exhibit focuses on creators  who appear in The New Yorker Magazine. Primarily consisting of contemporary contributors, it also includes examples of how cartoonists from the early part of the 20th century made fun of their male counterparts. The New Yorker has a tradition of social commentary in cartoons, their artists have been drawing about our lives for almost a century.   Much has changed in our world– including the number of women and nonbinary artists who are humorists. And yet much has stayed the same. However, now we are lucky to hear the experiences and humor from everyone.

Curated by Liza Donnelly.