2016-03-30
Emma Davidson
The annual Behind The Lines exhibition of the best political cartoons of 2015 is on again, with more than 80 cartoons on display. The Charlie Hebdo shooting features heavily, with artists making a statement about the importance of freedom of the press in a selection at the start of the exhibition. Freedom of the press features again in three cartoons at the end of the exhibition, with Will Mahoney's Stop Press (1940) and His Master's Voice (1938), and Noel Counihan's For a Clean Sweep in the New Year (1953).
Independence of public institutions, namely the Human Rights Commissioner, was covered in Fiona Katauskas' Pride and Prejudice. "Going the full Austen" has resulted in a colourful cartoon that prompted a genuine laugh-out-loud moment from my exhibition companions. The Minister for Women's Shirtfront by Cathy Wilcox provided more chuckles.
Leadership, or lack of it, also featured throughout the exhibition. Standouts include Not Waving, Drowning by Jonathan Bentley. The expansive colour and framing that emphasise the raging sea (with a struggling Tony Abbott at centre) are a noticeable change from the usual line drawing caricatures where the people are the key feature. The natural environment also played a part in Cathy Wilcox's Matter of Taste, featuring a lovely wind farm vs a not-so-lovely coal power plant.
Colour is also a key compnent in David Pope's Leadership Spill, with Malcolm Turnbull's giant head playing the role of the moon in a re-imagining of the ET movie poster. First Dog on the Moon's take on Turnbull finally getting the job, Thucydides Has Never Heard of You, Either, pointedly demonstrated that all the leadership speculation had done very little to solve actual problems in the Australian community. While First Dog's cartoons are more wordy than most cartoons, the language forms part of the satire. And it's nice to see Australian animals used in place of the usual caricatures emphasising various anatomical features of politicians. The Opposition also came in for criticism of their leadership (or lack of), in Fiona Katauskas' Shorten to the Point.
The exhibition at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House, Canberra included fun-for-all-ages political games at the front of the exhibition space. Playing political Guess Who? certainly makes the caricature nature of cartooning, with its emphasis on identifiable physical features, all the more noticeable. Compared to the three vintage cartoons on display, it seems that this style has become more prominent in the post-WWII era. The Canberra exhibition also places Behind the Lines close to MOAD's long-term zine space, showcasing handmade zines and encouraging visitors to try out making their own. It seems that MOAD is encouraging public critique and comment as an expression of democratic rights.
The exhibition continues in Canberra until November 2016, but travelling exhibitions will also visit Parramatta, Moreton Bay, and Darwin during the year, and has just closed in Ipswich. The cartoons are also online with a few words from the artists.