Cartoon Coaster

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Shelley Adler, “Ellie Sitting,” 2022

oil on linen, 20” x 17” (courtesy Herringer Kiss, Calgary)

Cartoons, whether still or animated, abstract or figurative, have evolved through the ages. During the Renaissance, cartoni were used to transfer images to large paintings, tapestries and frescoes. By the 1840s, cartoons had transformed into pictorial parodies that utilized caricature and satire. Then, in the 1960s, they were incorporated into Pop Art. Nowadays, cartoons play a variety of complex roles within contemporary art and are much harder to define.

Those historical roots are deftly and eloquently refined in On the back of a cartoon coaster, on view until Nov. 12 at the Herringer Kiss Gallery in Calgary. The show brings together work by Toronto artists Shelley Adler and Joe Fleming, friends who share an interest in cartoons. They persuaded the gallery’s owner, Deborah Herringer Kiss, to develop a collaborative show rather than exhibiting their paintings separately. The unexpected juxtapositions of seemingly disparate practices resonate with remarkable clarity and charm.

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Shelley Adler, “Necklace,” 2020

oil on canvas, 72” x 48” (courtesy Herringer Kiss, Calgary)

Jane Hope, a writer who splits her time between Toronto and New York, describes Adler’s luscious female figures as “a highly contemporary form of cartoon” in an essay for the exhibition’s catalogue. Adler’s portraits avoid the sardonic punches used to satirize politicians and socialites, and lean instead toward elegant fictions, whether of women she has met or women long gone that she admires. Known for her eccentric, jewel-toned palette and expressive gestures, Adler creates striking images that are stylized or minimally detailed. Her subjects often dare you to hold their gaze.

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Joe Fleming, “Spring Training, Blue Sky,” 2021

oil on polycarbonate, 36” x 28” (courtesy Herringer Kiss, Calgary)

In contrast, Fleming appropriates cartoon iconography in “characters, line work and cherubic forms epitomized by Disney,” writes Hope. He creates layered abstractions mixed with figurative elements on plexiglass or paper. While his works have clearly established figures and grounds, they are often crammed with other drawings, splashes of colour or geometric forms like squares and circles. These fragmented mashups are achieved with brushes, silkscreens, spray paint and deeply etched lines. While cartoons are typically funny, in Fleming’s hands they become edgier, almost verging on the chaotic or violently comedic.

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Shelly Adler, “The Secret,” 2020

oil on canvas, 72” x 48” (courtesy Herringer Kiss, Calgary)

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Joe Fleming, “Blue Waves,” 2022

oil on polycarbonate, 37” x 31.5” (courtesy Herringer Kiss, Calgary)

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The show encompasses 27 works arranged in both individual groupings and curious pairings. For example, Adler’s large painting, The Secret, sits kitty-corner to Fleming’s lyrical construction, Blue Waves. As in other pairings, intriguing associations emerge. A blond female in profile gives viewers a side eye as she raises one hand towards her mouth. Her skin almost blends into the pinkish background and is upstaged by her deep emerald sweater, which almost shimmers. While Fleming’s work is subdued in comparison, it pulls you into its layered lair. A cloud-like form floats in front of a cartoon-style drawing. Is it a fish or some type of fauna? To the right, in stark contrast, is a blue hard-edged slab that acts almost like a door, allowing us to peer into the murky depths. 

Such juxtapositions awaken us to the power of image-making, whether figurative or abstract. Despite very different practices, the artists invite viewers to contemplate the cartoon in contemporary practice while also reflecting on the history of cartoons. The two visual languages we encounter, while stunningly different, are equally lyrical and gestural. Here cartoons are used as both a tool and a style, as figuration and abstraction. The exhibition is quietly political yet also deeply poetic. ■

Shelley Adler and Joe Fleming, On the back of a cartoon coaster, at the Herringer Kiss Gallery in Calgary from Oct. 15 to Nov. 12, 2022. 

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