Ralph Steadman in Art History
Hunter S. Thompson, Ralph Steadman, collage, Conte, and ink, 2005 || All photos by Abril Warner.
In May 2019, the Kansas City Public Library held the Ralph Steadman: A Retrospective. It was a last minute, spur-of-the-moment decision to drive to see it. The sprawling exhibit did not disappoint. The main part of the exhibit focused on Steadman’s most famous themes such as politics, social commentary and works regarding his long-time collaborator, the American writer Hunter S. Thompson (1937-2005).
Hunter S. Thompson’s Memorial Print, Ralph Steadman, 2005
The unexpected artwork was on an upper landing of the Library. What most delighted me in this arrangement of Steadman’s works were the art historical references. They spanned from Italian High Renaissance rivalries to an existentialist Christmas Party. Along the back wall were selections from Steadman’s series known as Extinct Boids.
Michelangelo and Leonardo, Ralph Steadman, 1983
detail from Michelangelo and Leonardo, Ralph Steadman, 1983
An Afternoon on the Serpentine, Ralph Steadman
Francis Bacon Christmas Party, Ralph Steadman
Ralph Steadman’s artistic career spans over sixty years from a published cartoon in the the Manchester Evening Chronicle to projects with Hunter S. Thompson to present day collaborations and commissions.[1] His interests are as varied as his media. Ralph Steadman’s work is independent and [thought-]provoking.
Pallas's Cormorant, Ralph Steadman, 2011
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