Robert Crumb
Who is Robert Crumb? I didn't know. But his style and messages interested me. So I delved deeper...
He describes himself as a social reject, an outcast at high school and a feeling alienated. I am sure many introvert artists can relate to these feelings.
“I was one of those social rejects, but then, you know, a lot of people were — nothing unusual about being an outcast in high school.”
Surprisingly his work does not reflect this character, his controversial content is what attracted me initially and made me want to find out more.
His work was a leading part of the world of underground comix counter culture and became more popular and influential as the '60s worn on. With no censorship to begin with, R.Crumb amongst others artist drew what the wanted without fear of condemnation from any mainstream.
Clearly the content of some of his work is shocking and as he became increasingly famous Crumb became increasingly disgruntled and this showed though his art...
'His reaction was to heap contempt on the fame and recognition he’d sought since childhood. Crumb took perverse pleasure in scorning anyone who had ever rejected him before, which included hippies, commercialism, and especially women. Aside from a few acid-inspired flights of fancy, Crumb’s art became cynical and neurotically, painfully autobiographical. Crumb’s favourite character to draw was himself: a poor, geeky shlub with pimples and a slouch hat. His comix (which had never been particularly woman-friendly) became violently misogynistic, as he graphically poured what were essentially his masturbatory fantasies onto the printed page. Women were raped, dismembered, mutilated, and murdered, sometimes all at once.'
http://www.popmatters.com/feature/no-girls-allowed-crumb-and-the-comix-counterculture/ By Claire Litten, 2007.
What will I do next...
