Thursday, October 11, 2007

OT: Mauldin / Feiffer exhibit in Chicago

this press release was sent to me and I've got a great deal of respect and admiration for the two cartoonists, so here it is:

Jean Albano Gallery
215 West Superior Street
Chicago, Illinois 60610
312.440.0770 fax 312.440.3103
www.jeanalbanogallery.com

October 11, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

The Jean Albano Gallery is pleased to announce an exhibition, History Revealed, featuring work by famed cartoonists BILL MAULDIN and JULES FEIFFER. The show opens on Friday, October 26, 2007, and will run through Saturday, January 6, 2008. The gallery will host an opening reception on Friday, October 26, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at 215 West Superior Street, Chicago. This exhibition will explore subtleties between the work of these two men, whose editorial cartoons continue to be socially and politically relevant. Original watercolor drawings, editorial cartoons, and Feiffer’s illustrations from The Long Chalkboard (2006) will be shown. In addition, new limited edition prints by Bill Mauldin will be featured, including a special limited edition printing of Mauldin’s iconic “Weeping Lincoln” image.

The late cartoonist BILL MAULDIN is remembered for his depiction of life in the trenches during World War II. Stationed in Europe during the war, Mauldin drew cartoons for the Stars and Strips featuring two infantrymen named Willie and Joe. In 1945, Mauldin won his first Pulitzer Prize, “for distinguished service as a cartoonist, as exemplified by the series entitled ‘Up Front with Mauldin.” Mauldin became staff cartoonist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in 1959. In the same year, he won his second Pulitzer for a cartoon entitled I won the Nobel Prize for Literature. What was your crime? In 1962, Mauldin moved to the Chicago Sun-Times, where he worked until his retirement in 1991. One of Mauldin’s most famous cartoons, depicting the statue of Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial holding his head in his hands, appeared in the paper after the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963. Mauldin passed away at the age of 81 in 2003.

JULES FEIFFER is a legendary, multi-dimensional personality whose talent is reflected in his many endeavors, including his beautifully composed and engaging artwork. In 2003, Feiffer was honored with a solo exhibition, Julz Rulz: Inside the Mind of Jules Feiffer, at the New York Historical Society. In addition, Feiffer’s most recent play, A Bad Friend, was commissioned by and performed at Lincoln Center, New York in summer, 2003. Jules Feiffer is known for his internationally syndicated cartoon strip, which ran for 40 years in The Village Voice and as a monthly feature in The New York Times. He is the author of over 35 books, including the children’s books By the Side of the Road, (2002) and I Lost My Bear (1998). He has written film scripts, among them Popeye (1980) and Carnal Knowledge (1971), and won an Academy Award for Munro (1960), an animated cartoon based on his story. Feiffer won the Obie and Outer Critics Circle Awards for his first full-length play, Little Murders, in 1969. He lives and works in New York City.

Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday, from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm, and Saturday from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm, or by appointment. For further information, please contact Sarah Kaliski or Lindsey Walton at 312.440.0770.


Also, this bit about Mauldin's Lincoln cartoon was included separately:

The “WEEPING LINCOLN,” by the great Bill Mauldin, is one of the most acclaimed and distinguished cartoons of the twentieth century. Drawn on November 23, 1963, the day of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, the cartoon ran in commemoration the following day as the back page of the Chicago Sun-Times.

The cartoon captured the immediate emotional response to the president’s death as felt by millions of people around the world. The image remains unequivocal; a powerful tribute to this historic occasion.

Mauldin gave the original drawing of the “Weeping Lincoln” to Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy, who later donated it to the Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston.

Unknown to the world, the original metal plate used for printing was rescued from the refuse container by Mr. Ralph Otwell, Weekend News Editor for the Chicago Sun-Times, and has been on the wall of his study for over forty years. Mr. Otwell brought the plate to Jean Albano Gallery in 2006, during their first exhibition of Bill Mauldin’s cartoons. It was an amazing discovery.

The Estate of Bill Mauldin, in association with Jean Albano Gallery, is privileged to offer a limited edition print of the “WEEPING LINCOLN,” hand-pulled from the original plate. This special edition is limited to ONLY 650 prints.

The “Weeping Lincoln” will be featured as part of the exhibition History Revealed: Jules Feiffer and Bill Mauldin, on display at Jean Albano Gallery from October 26, 2007 through January 6, 2008.

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