So an R. Crumb exhibition blew into town the other week and a friend and I went to see it. I have always admired Crumb from afar, hell I even bought a couple Zap and Mr. Natural comix a few years back. But I have never truly thought of Crumb as a serious artist. That is until his series of Early jazz, blues and country greats came out. Even though we might only have a single picture or two of an artist, for instance Robert Johnson or Charlie Patton, Crumb, who is quite an avid 78rpm collector, really gets at the essence of the performer. Oh and he is one hell of an artist when it comes to these portraits. But as far as his underground work I am not all that interested in what he has to portray. Especially the late 70’s weirdness where he tries to squeeze everything into a single panel and then the next panel is just as cramped for space. His proportions are good and his lines express the right things at the right times but his content seems to be lacking a certain something. I can understand the weirdness coming from the times he grew up in but I don’t know if Crumb’s work has enough lasting qualities to make it to the 22nd century.
Something else I liked about the exhibition was the early comics that Crumb did with his brother. There was a Donald Duckyness or a Snow White and the Seven Dwarfism about them that was pretty cool to reflect on, considering his current work and style never really deviated from the peak underground years of the late 60’s. Overall the show was fascinating because of the glimpse of Crumb’s working methods and all that good stuff, and it is always good to see the originals of artists who have been mass produced.
If you are interested please check out the ICA’s website for the event info: http://www.icaphila.org/exhibitions/crumb.php
