Texts of the Exhibition Presented at the Mccord Museum from June 20, 2012 to January 26, 2013
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Texts of the exhibition Presented at the McCord Museum From June 20, 2012 to January 26, 2013. Table of Contents Introduction 2. 1 – The end of the world in 2012 2. 2 – Political calamities 4. 2.1 World War II 1939-1945 4. 2.2 The Cold War 1947-1991 6. 2.3 The former Yugoslavia 1991-2001 7. 2.4 Israel 1995- … 7. 2.5 New York 2001 8. 2.6 Iran 1978-1979 8. 2.7 Uganda 1971-1979 9. 2.8 Haiti 1980 9. 2.9 Paris 1986 9. 2.10 Rwanda 1994 9. 2.11 The Persian Gulf 1991 9. 2.12 Darfur 2003- … 10. 2.13 Iran 2009 10. 2.14 The Arab World 2010- … 10. 2.15 Iraq 2003-2011 12. 2.16 Al-Quaeda 2001- … 12. 2.17 Afghanistan 2001- … 14. 3 – Plagues 14. 4 – The calamity of being mortal 15. 5 – Calamities that … aren’t 18. 5.1 Y2K, or the Millennium Bug 18. 5.2 The trials and tribulations of the Montreal Canadiens 18. 5.3 Is Montreal on its last legs? 22. 5.4 Damn winter! 24. 6 – The end of the blue planet? 25. 6.1 The Gulf of Mexico 2010 26. 6.2 The province of Quebec 2007 26. 6.3 Off the coast of Spain 2002 26. 6.4 Chernobyl 1986 27. 6.5 The province of Quebec 1998 27. 6.6 Haiti 2010 27. 6.7 Japan 2011 27. 6.8 Climate change 28. 7 – Cartoonists biographies 29. Cartooning Calamities! 1 ã McCord Museum, 2012 Introduction The history of humanity is punctuated by all sorts of calamities: predicted disasters that never happen, cataclysms that take people by surprise and destroy their lives, wars that devastate whole countries, trifling misfortunes raised to the level of catastrophe to add a little spice to life. Whether amusing or tragic, calamities present a challenge to cartoonists who interpret current events. They offer a chance to demonstrate the aesthetic potential and dramatic power of editorial illustration, and to show that the cartoon, though an art of the everyday, can also touch upon the universal. This exhibition, which focuses on events that occurred in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, presents original works by sixteen Quebec cartoonists. All are drawn from the McCord Museum’s collection of cartoons, which is the second largest in Canada. 1 – The end of the world in 2012 According to one interpretation of the ancient Mayan calendar, the year 2012 will mark a turning point in the history of humanity: on the 21st day of the 12th month the world will come to an end! The Museum has invited nine cartoonists to produce a work inspired by this prediction. The Mayan calendar and Canadian current events Now symbolic of a calamity it is hard to take seriously, the Mayan calendar has begun to appear in the editorial illustrations of a number of cartoonists. The Mayan civilization Pascal, Montreal Unpublished cartoon, 2012 M2012.26.156 Exposition de caricatures illégale Beaudet, Montreal Unpublished cartoon, 2012 M2012.53.1 Not the end of the world yet “Well! Who’d have thought it! There’s more on the back…” The end is nigh S. Chapleau, Montreal Unpublished cartoon, 2012 M2012.52.1 2012 Mayan calendar Garnotte, Montreal Unpublished cartoon, 2012 M2012.51.3 Cartooning Calamities! 2 ã McCord Museum, 2012 The end of the world occurred on May 2, 2011! Godin, Montreal Unpublished cartoon, 2012 M2012.61.2.1 Mayan calendar R. Pier, Montreal Unpublished cartoon, 2012 M2011.105.503 It’s not the end of the world! Fleg, Québec Caricature inédite / Unpublished cartoon, 2012 M2012.24.442 Mayan calendar Aislin, Montreal Unpublished cartoon, 2012 M2012.42.2 This time, it’s for real! Bado, Ottawa Unpublished cartoon, 2012 M2012.55.6.1 Mayan calendar Pascal, Médias Transcontinental, Montreal January 6, 2012 M2012.26.35 Bernard Drainville’s calendar… Garnotte, Le Devoir, Montreal January 16, 2012 M2012.51.4 Robocalls Bado, Le Droit, Ottawa March 5, 2012 M2012.55.1 Mayan 2012 Doomsday Calendar Rosen, Mirror, Montreal January 5, 2012 M2012.73.1 2012 Pessimist's and Optimist's Views Aislin, The Gazette, Montreal March 6, 2012 M2012.42.17 Cartooning Calamities! 3 ã McCord Museum, 2012 2 – Political calamities Calamities are not always a matter of random bad luck: human beings have a gift for inflicting suffering upon themselves. Armed conflicts, for example, destroy worlds sometimes permanently. In times of war, cartoonists display the full range of their editorial vocation. Their drawings can take the form of journalistic reports or exposés, they may express anger or dismay, they might offer ironic commentary or aim for cool detachment. Some even express … silence. 2.1 World War II 1939-1945 During the 1930s, the rise of Italian fascism and the Nazi movement in Germany led directly to the outbreak of the most widespread armed conflict in human history – the Second World War. In Canada, the figure of Hitler served as one of the main symbols of enemy forces. The Destructive Nazi and Italian Worms at the Roots A. G. Racey, The Montreal Daily Star About 1932 M2005.23.5 The Hun Cowardly Bully at Work A. G. Racey, The Montreal Daily Star About 1938 M2005.23.21 Poised ! John Collins, The Gazette, Montreal 1939 M965.199.4215 World Volcano A. G. Racey, The Montreal Daily Star About 1935-1936 M2005.23.130 Revolving on a New Axis John Collins, The Gazette, Montreal 1939 M965.199.4088 Cover the Earth John Collins, The Gazette, Montreal 1939 M965.199.4089 The Face of the Earth John Collins, The Gazette, Montreal June 20, 1940 M965.199.1823 Cartooning Calamities! 4 ã McCord Museum, 2012 Democracy's Call to Arms John Collins, The Gazette, Montreal June 15, 1940 M965.199.1820 Ballet Russe John Collins, The Gazette, Montreal January 10, 1944 M965.199.2280 His Changing World John Collins, The Gazette, Montreal 1944 M965.199.5729 "See, I Promised You Land in Russia !" John Collins, The Gazette, Montreal September 18, 1942 M965.199.3369 Caucasus Mountains John Collins, The Gazette, Montreal August 12, 1942 M965.199.3432 Man in the Moon John Collins, The Gazette, Montreal September 1, 1943 M965.199.2181 Among the Casualities John Collins, The Gazette, Montreal 1945 M965.199.176 Hell John Collins, The Gazette, Montreal 1945 M965.199.4677 Remembrance Day 1940 A. G. Racey, The Montreal Daily Star 1940 M2005.23.59 The Gates of Italy Mayo, Montreal 1943 M2010.62.13 Cartooning Calamities! 5 ã McCord Museum, 2012 2.2 The Cold War 1947-1991 Following the 1939-1945 war, tensions between the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) undermined hopes for international peace. A new vision of the world began to prevail, that of a planet torn apart by the antagonistic forces of the two new superpowers and their allies. Between the Crosses Row on Row John Collins, The Gazette, Montreal 1965 M965.199.1441 Too Many Burning Fuses John Collins, The Gazette, Montreal 1948 M965.199.3854 March Comes in Like a Bear John Collins, The Gazette, Montreal 1948 M965.199.3575 The World We Live In John Collins, The Gazette, Montreal 1950 M965.199.9807 The Hand Behind the Chopsticks John Collins, The Gazette, Montreal 1950 M965.199.9814 Thankful for Crumbs John Collins, The Gazette, Montreal 1951 M965.199.7736 "What Happened to Our Cease-Fire ?" John Collins, The Gazette, Montreal 1965 M965.199.1553 Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger, 1972 Aislin, The Gazette, Montreal December 30, 1972 M2012.42.6 Escalation. John Collins, The Gazette, Montreal 1965 M965.199.9254 Cartooning Calamities! 6 ã McCord Museum, 2012 2.3 The former Yugoslavia 1991-2001 The break-up of Yugoslavia in 1991 led the populations of the Balkans into a series of armed ethnic conflicts. United Nations (UN) peacekeeping troops and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces intervened in an effort to find a solution to the hostilities. In Bosnia, the UN observes, observes, observes... Godin, Voir, Montreal 1993 M2002.133.21 Bosnia… Godin, Voir, Montreal August 30, 1995 M2002.133.107 The UN policy in Srebrenica… Garnotte, Le Devoir, Montreal July 27, 1996 M2007.69.84 The bombing Godin, Voir, Montreal March 30, 1999 M2002.133.236 NATO planes strike hard Godin, Voir, Montreal 1999 M2002.133.235 2.4 Israel 1995- … When, in 1995, Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a Jewish extremist, the peace process between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was seriously compromised. Almost ten years later, Yasser Arafat – Rabin’s Palestinian counterpart also died. No durable solution to the conflict has yet been reached. End of peace in Israel Godin, Voir, Montreal November 8, 1995 M2002.133.113 Les porteurs d'Arafat Garnotte, Le Devoir, Montreal November 12, 2004 M2012.51.6 Hamas… Garnotte, Le Devoir, Montreal January 28, 2006 M2012.51.7 Cartooning Calamities! 7 ã McCord Museum, 2012 Shalom... Aislin, The Gazette, Montreal February 7, 2001 M2005.143.15 2.5 New York 2001 September 11th, 2001 Aislin, The Gazette, Montreal September 13, 2001 M2009.43.14.1 9/11 S. Chapleau, La Presse, Montréal September 12, 2001 M2012.52.6 10 years later… Bado, Le Droit, Ottawa September 10, 2011 M2012.55.2 New York skyline Bado, Le Droit, Ottawa September 11, 2004 M2012.55.7 11/9/01 PAUSE Fleg, Yahoo! Québec September 9, 2011 M2012.24.411 Moving Forward... Aislin, The Gazette, Montreal September 10, 2011 M2012.42.3 2.6 Iran 1978-1979 Ousted by revolutionary forces, the Iranian dictator Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi fled his country in 1979.