Jules Feiffer fans should rejoice: Saturday must be Jules Feiffer Day. On Saturday morning, the Pultizer Prize-winning artist has a talk with Parrish Art Museum director Terrie Sultan at 11 a.m. with a book signing to follow at the museum. Immediately after, a second solo Feiffer show opens in the Hamptons at Mark Borghi Fine Art. An Opening Reception takes place Saturday night from 4 to 6 p.m. with the artist expected to attend. The show is curated by Julie Keyes.
Between the two events, it's possible to plan an entire day emersed in the art of Feiffer. Considering spending time at the Parrish's Feiffer exhibition to check out drawings from his graphic novel Kill My Mother. The graphic novel itself can typically be found on benches within the gallery so the drawings on the walls can be matched to those in the book. The big difference (besides the artwork size) is the art on the walls does not include the dialogue while the graphic novel does.
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From "Kill My Mother," by Jules Feiffer (Liveright Publishing Corporation). 20 x 16 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
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"Jules Feiffer: Kill My Mother" features 147 large-scale ink and ink wash on paper drawings created for the graphic novel book. Also included is a series of new drawings (Jules Feiffer, Mother, 2014) created for the show.
When making drawings for the graphic novel, Feiffer transitioned from the sketchy line drawings that defined his style—most notably, in the long running Village Voice comic Feiffer—to a specific cinematic style, rife with kinetic illustrations, stark contrasts of light and shadow, and atmospheric elements like rainy streets, reflected light in the dark of night, and dense, intricate backgrounds, according to The Parrish.
"These original working drawings show a great deal of detail and technique, providing viewers with a real sense of the artist’s hand, and offer a rare look at Feiffer’s creative process,” said Sultan.
A review on the show was published by Hamptons Art Hub. Click here to read what art critic James Croak has to say.
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From "Kill My Mother," by Jules Feiffer (Liveright Publishing Corporation). 20 x 16 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
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The exhibition at Mark Borghi Fine Art reveals a different art side to Feiffer. The show presents drawings and prints--many of them celebrating dance. Most of the exhibited work was made in 2009 or earlier. The show was curated by Julie Keyes of Keyes Art.
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"Woman Dancer" by Jules Feiffer. Drawing, 20 x 23 inches. Courtesy Julie Keyes.
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The drawing with dancers as muse are filled with implied motion mixed seamlessly with dancer emotion and attitude portrayed by Feiffer with sure strokes. The exhibition also features cartoon panels, drawings, watercolor drawings and prints. There's even a self-portrait to contemplate.
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Artwork by Jules Feiffer. Print, 36 x 28 inches. Courtesy of Julie Keyes.
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In case of downtime, meander through even more art by Feiffer online at the Jean Albano Gallery. Expect to find cartoons, drawings of superheros, dancers, drawings for children's books, published drawings and more. Or, check out a Feiffer interview with Mother Jones's senior editor Michael Mechanic. Looking for an exhaustive biographic list? Encyclopedia.com has you covered.
Feiffer began his career working as an assistant to cartoonist Will Eisner, writing dialogue for The Spirit. His Village Voice cartoon strip brought him to prominence as a social and political satirist, and earned him the Pulitzer Prize for political cartoons. He is author/illustrator of numerous children’s books as well as compilations of cartoons and strips, and has written novels, an autobiography, and award-winning stage plays, and screenplays. Kill My Mother is Feiffer’s first foray into the graphic novel genre.
Feiffer lives, works, and teaches in the Hamptons. Born in 1929, Jules Feiffer was inducted into the Comic Book Hall of Fame, earned the National Cartoonists Society's Milton Caniff Lifetime Achievement Award, and a George Polk Award for his cartoons. He is a visiting professor in the MFA in Creative Writing and Literature program at Stony Brook Southampton.
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BASIC FACTS: "Jules Feiffer: Kill My Mother" remains on view through April 26, 2015 at the Parrish Art Museum, 279 Montauk Hwy, Water Mill, NY 11976. www.parrishart.org.
"Jules Feiffer: Dancers!" opens April 18 and remains on view through April 30, 2015 at Mark Borghi Fine Art, 2426 Main Street, Bridgehampton, NY 11932. www.borghi.org. For information on the exhibition, call Julie Keyes at 1-917-509-1379.
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From "Kill My Mother," by Jules Feiffer (Liveright Publishing Corporation). 20 x 16 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
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"Man Dancing" by Jules Feiffer. Print, 26 x 23 inches. Courtesy of Julie Keyes.
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