KABOOM! Comics in Art

The title ‘KABOOM! Comics in Art’ presents the influence of comics on contemporary art from the 1950s to now.

Comic strips and cartoons have been a constant source of inspiration for artists since the 1950s, but it was only with British and American Pop Art that the world of speech balloons made its entry into galleries and museums. Roy Lichtenstein, Öyvind Fahrström and many other artists introduced the aesthetic of comics into their paintings. In this way, they provocatively undermined the distinction between popular culture and established art.

The title gives particular emphasis to the works of a younger generation of artists. Their works make use of the visual worlds and formal peculiarities of comics in an unusual manner. Highlighting the timeless influence of comics that explore their relationship to society in a way that occurs with humour, wit and irony.

The notion of the superhero is a particular theme explored throughout ‘KABOOM!’. Contemporary interpretations include the Afro-American performance artist William Pope.L, who donned a Superman outfit and crawled the entire length of Broadway in New York. In a bizarre inversion of the white superhero, he dismantled the myth of American power in a striking manner.

‘KABOOM! Comics in Art’ the title is available through Kehrer.

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