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ScarfeFace
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
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November 8, 2019
The art of the caricaturist relies very much on accentuating certain features on the subject's face or body, generally for comic effect, and one dictionary definition of physiognomy is 'The art of reading character from features of the face or the form of the body.' And Gerald Scarfe combines the two to perfection, so whether one appreciates his efforts or not, there is little doubt that he is very able as a caricaturist.
'ScarfeFace' features caricatures of many of the leading personalities of the day - at least they were leading personalities when Scarfe was portraying them even if the younger generation may wonder who some of them are today - with one lady featuring far more often than any other. And that lady is Mrs Thatcher in a wide variety of shapes and sizes with different aspects of her physiognomy highlighted.
And mention of politicians brings Ted Heath into focus for he also appears frequently, teeth and nose to the fore. There are plenty of other politicians; Nigel Lawson, rather chubby and bewigged, Lord Home - I wonder how many remember him - John Major who, as Scarfe says, 'makes a rather unsuccessful dodo', Denis Healey, looking like a hatchet man with the biggest eyebrows imaginable, Shirley Williams, a much-spotted Neil Kinnock and Michael Heseltine being among many others.
Of politicians, Scarfe makes the comment, 'Politicians put themselves on pedestals and like to think of themselves as great men and leave us their portraits in oil paint, stone and bronze; images they would like us all to see, the hero, the innovator, the leader of men. In time, when the knives and the memoirs come out, the faces start to crumble.' They don['t exactly crumble with Scarfe but they are certainly viewed very differently!
American political figures do not escape the Scarfe humour either with Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, George Bush, Jimmy Carter, Al Gore and Bill and Hilary Clinton, the last pairing showing Bill as a dummy on Hilary's knee, being well covered.
The entertainment profession is well represented with such as Mick Jagger, unsurprisingly with large lips pouting, Tina Turner. looking absolutely ghastly, Lulu, Mel Tormé, perhaps a surprise choice, an oversized Donald Sinden, Al Pacino, looking suitably doleful, Robert Downey Jr in his role as Charlie Chaplin, Bob Hope and Barry Manilow … and many more. Andre Agassi and Steffie Graf are two that represent the sporting fraternity.
The Queen and Prince Philip prove suitable subjects for Scarfe's pen while Prince Charles, with his extra large ears is saying, 'I can hear the daffodils talking' while his brothers Andrew and Edward display marginally smaller ears than their older sibling and Scarfe's satirical comment is 'Large ears mean that you are a little bit slow or in some way connected with the royal family.'
All-in-all it is an interesting collection of caricatures, which one cannot dispute are well drawn, but they do cater for a particular taste and that happens to be, for the most part, not mine.
'ScarfeFace' features caricatures of many of the leading personalities of the day - at least they were leading personalities when Scarfe was portraying them even if the younger generation may wonder who some of them are today - with one lady featuring far more often than any other. And that lady is Mrs Thatcher in a wide variety of shapes and sizes with different aspects of her physiognomy highlighted.
And mention of politicians brings Ted Heath into focus for he also appears frequently, teeth and nose to the fore. There are plenty of other politicians; Nigel Lawson, rather chubby and bewigged, Lord Home - I wonder how many remember him - John Major who, as Scarfe says, 'makes a rather unsuccessful dodo', Denis Healey, looking like a hatchet man with the biggest eyebrows imaginable, Shirley Williams, a much-spotted Neil Kinnock and Michael Heseltine being among many others.
Of politicians, Scarfe makes the comment, 'Politicians put themselves on pedestals and like to think of themselves as great men and leave us their portraits in oil paint, stone and bronze; images they would like us all to see, the hero, the innovator, the leader of men. In time, when the knives and the memoirs come out, the faces start to crumble.' They don['t exactly crumble with Scarfe but they are certainly viewed very differently!
American political figures do not escape the Scarfe humour either with Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, George Bush, Jimmy Carter, Al Gore and Bill and Hilary Clinton, the last pairing showing Bill as a dummy on Hilary's knee, being well covered.
The entertainment profession is well represented with such as Mick Jagger, unsurprisingly with large lips pouting, Tina Turner. looking absolutely ghastly, Lulu, Mel Tormé, perhaps a surprise choice, an oversized Donald Sinden, Al Pacino, looking suitably doleful, Robert Downey Jr in his role as Charlie Chaplin, Bob Hope and Barry Manilow … and many more. Andre Agassi and Steffie Graf are two that represent the sporting fraternity.
The Queen and Prince Philip prove suitable subjects for Scarfe's pen while Prince Charles, with his extra large ears is saying, 'I can hear the daffodils talking' while his brothers Andrew and Edward display marginally smaller ears than their older sibling and Scarfe's satirical comment is 'Large ears mean that you are a little bit slow or in some way connected with the royal family.'
All-in-all it is an interesting collection of caricatures, which one cannot dispute are well drawn, but they do cater for a particular taste and that happens to be, for the most part, not mine.
Displaying 1 of 1 review