RALPH STEADMAN EXHIBITION AT CHATHAM HISTORIC DOCKYARD
Ralph STEADman: INKling will give both dedicated Steadman fans, as well as the uninitiated, a chance to see four sides of the artist’s career
Counter-culture trailblazer and satirical pioneer Ralph Steadman will be the focus of a brand-new art exhibition at Chatham Historic Dockyard this autumn.
Ralph STEADman: INKling will give both dedicated Steadman fans, as well as the uninitiated, a unique chance to see four distinctive sides of a remarkable career from Steadman’s iconic Gonzo work to his beautiful children’s illustrations.
Over the course of seven decades, Steadman has illustrated some of the most celebrated literary works of all time, from Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas to literary classics, including Treasure Island, Alice in Wonderland and Animal Farm.
CREDIT: Rikard Österlund
Children’s illustration: From Fly Away Peter (1963), his first, to his latest, The Ralphabet, a selection from more than 60 years of Steadman’s children’s illustrations will go on show in the atmospheric No 1 Smithery exhibition space.
For more a decade, Steadman has collaborated with filmmaker and conservationist Ceri Levy on the Gonzovation Trilogy, which now numbers more than 300 original artworks.
Steadman’s conservation work dates back to 2011, when Levy approached him to produce an artwork of an extinct bird. Once he started, Steadman couldn’t stop producing work and filled three books, Extinct Boids (2012), Nextinction (2015) and Critical Critters (2017).
INKling presents an enticing glimpse of the colour and vitality of this collection.
There is also a selection of works shown in this exhilarating exhibition focusing on Steadman’s collaboration and friendship with Hunter S. Thompson, his Gonzo compadre.
Several original portraits of the Gonzo journalist are on display, including a silk screen print of arguably his most famous portrait, Vintage Dr Gonzo, from Thompson’s cult classic novel, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Steadman says: “People might be surprised, if they only know about my Gonzo work, to see all the children’s work. Everything in life shouldn’t be for adults and these are innocent in a savage world.
“I was always so fascinated by really classic works and it was an ambition of mine to try my version of them. Treasure Island was a classic that I thought would be an adventure for myself, like it is for the characters.
“Hunter was a wonderful menace and I guess I owe a lot of my infamy to him and his crazy suggestions. We got into scrapes but somehow always got out of them.”
INKling is included in the entry ticket to The Historic Dockyard Chatham.
WHEN: 21st September-17th November
INFO: thedockyard.co.uk
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