Press Archive 1997

Fürther Nachrichten, 1997, SABINE DIETZ

The Grim Reaper is last

"The final curtain": a snappy, witty commentary by the artist group "Cartoonage" to the theatre establishment



On 16 February, the comic-strip has an anniversary. Exactly 100 years ago was the day, on which the New York newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer had presented to the readers of the Sunday supplement of his New York World the first episode of Richard Felton’s series "The yellow kid". This date is considered the birth of the comic strip not necessarily because before then comparable picture-stories were missing on the market, but because the series was a tremendous success.

However, this anniversary isn't the reason why the artists and caricaturists group "Cartoonage" is showcasing their work in the Stadttheater. Their theme is a different one, but no less topical: "The final curtain" is the title of the exhibition by ten in the Nuremberg metropolitan area based caricaturists, which the usual in the industry lone fighter image oppose and whose cartoons by local newspapers are sought after.

The title refers to the motto of the theatrical season 1996/97: "Game-over time". The comics on the walls are satirical comments about the domestic life in the theatre establishment. Title and speech bubbles support the satirical blows and help the observer to understand.

Influenced by Uli Stein’s cartoon worlds and drawing style are Peter Kaste’s comic heroes of the animal world. The swans hanging in the theatre auditorium and laugh out crazy over the ballerina and her qualities as a dying swan. The domestic life at the theatre can one find as pointed humour by the artist from Erlangen in a picture puzzle: Beethoven mixes with the audience and boos the interpreter, who on the piano is playing his work.

The in Berlin born Harald Kretzschmar, who is guest-member in "Cartoonage" reprimands nude scenes evidently as abnormality of contemporary theatre art. A network of cables between channel-Logos he accompanies with the phrase: "Only the wiring provides the best hanger for the art by the author". And suffocates in a knitted fabric of tele-medias: symbol for a culture, where creators of literary artworks sitting on back benches and the front seats are occupied by the art market managers.

Razed to the ground

Tragicomically are the comics of Plärrer-caricaturist Gerd Bauer. Can-Can dancers are razed to the ground by the stage curtain. "We had a big laugh", titled Bauer a picture about two policemen, who are dealing with a clown that lies in a pool of blood. Bauer’s little men with a bulbous nose remind one of the cartoon characters by Gerhard Seyfried. In the 70s they have been the most copied and could be found in every local newspaper.

The finely contoured fatties by Mario Ferrari are made in the style of Loriot and he also adopted his unspectacular humour. The chosen idol greets from many of his works.

Harald Hofmockel varies the "Casablanca"-theme "Look in my eyes darling" in 24 small-format scenes and celebrates at the same time the world of comic artists excessively: Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman as Tim and Struppi, Popeye and Olivia, Mickey and Minnie Mouse or E.O. Plauen’s father and son. Here, the countless variations remain from the quality level of making excluded.

In Roy Vidal’s work the gimmick hides behind the picture idea: two pictures titled "Moloch, and no one is walking" are showing a glittering high-rise jungle with endlessly strung together headlights pairs. From up close, the motives of the shimmering collages are turning out as PC keyboards, electronic components and digital displays.

The cartoonists don't stick to the given subject. The emotional and expressive abstract portrait of the soul in the style of Arnulf Rainer by Uwe Gerhardt can hardly be subsumed under the "End time" motto. The same applies for Werner Koch’s social criticism. A work by Andreas Floris was the inspiration for the title of the show. His "Last curtain" is a dark vision. Only the Grim Reaper is in the theatre as spectator. Alone from the prompter’s box bright light is shining. But very few of the exhibits are heavy with meaning and that’s a good thing. The pathetic point of view of Floris does not reflect the tone of the show. He is rather funnier.