As a complement to the documentary of the same title screening in this year’s Mavericks section, this exhibition highlights the work of the legendary illustrator, whose distinctively grotesque drawings — most famously for the books of Hunter S. Thompson — have placed him in the exalted cartooning company of Saul Steinberg and Robert Crumb.
Future Projections
Ralph Steadman For No Good Reason
"I just wanted to be taken seriously as an artist who was doing serious cartoons." -Ralph Steadman
In For No Good Reason, a documentary in the Festival's Mavericks section this year, we spend considerable time with Ralph Steadman. First coming to prominence as an illustrator for Hunter S. Thompson, Steadman pushed the boundaries of cartoons for more than four decades, with a range that makes him comparable to Saul Steinberg, Robert Crumb, and few others. This exhibit treats us to a sampling of his work, from his famous ink-on-paper drawings (including multiple caricatures of Thompson) through to his lesser-known photographs. Steadman's love of Picasso is expressed in a triptych called Gonzo Guernica, while Paranoids, a series of Polaroid portraits, displays his habit for testing the limits of distortion. Typically, Steadman's creations have been shrunk to fit paperbacks and magazines. This is a rare chance to experience them on a grander scale. THOM POWERS Presented at CIBC Canadian Film Gallery, TIFF Bell Lightbox, Reitman Square, 350 King Street West. Runs daily, September 5-15.