ROBERT CRUMB UNCOVERED

Robert Crumb, otherwise known as R. Crumb, is one of the leading figures of the 1966/ 67 underground comic movement. Philadelphia-born Crumb exploded onto the scene in the late 60's, heralding a renaissance of underground sex and drug comics. His LSD-inspired characters Fritz the Cat and Mr. Natural quickly established him as a counter-culture icon.
27th of October 2009 – Scream Gallery, 34 Bruton Street W1J 6QX

The exhibition will feature all the iconic characters including; Fritz the Cat and Mr. Natural. Frisky Fritz the Cat is up to his old tricks in 'Fritz the No-Good'. An original drawing for the cover of Motorcity Comics features a typically Amazonian Crumb woman, putting the boot into a bulky New York cop. His rendering of a 'girl commando' has a visceral impact as she shouts Join the world - family revolution or die!!! A drawing of legendary singer and comic book fan Janis Joplin, singing into a phallic microphone, is printed on a sheet of acid tabs and signed by Timothy Leary.

"I had this big change in 1965 and 66 and it was visionary you know. I took this weird drug. Supposedly it was LSD but it had a really weird effect where it made my brain all fuzzy...I started getting these images of cartoon characters I'd never seen before, and drawing these stream of consciousness comic strips." Robert Crumb

Crumb's iconic character 'Mr. Natural' is featured in "on the bum again", a strip where a cowgirl lasso's him, sits on top of him and demands 'Just tell me real quick what the secret of the Universe is". This interest in the universe illustrates his spiritual leanings, which have come to the foreground with the recent international publication of his latest and most epic project - an illustration of The book of Genesis. Hardcore fans may be surprised by his new topic, although this time it's not a satire, it's a beautiful depiction of the Bible in the mould of William Blake that he created over a period of 5 years, in isolation in a shepherd's hut in rural France. The original Genesis pages will be on display in The Bible Illuminated: R. Crumb's book of Genesis at the Hammer Museum in LA from 24 October 2009 to 7 February 2010. Crumb was raised as a Catholic and admits that he believes in God, and spiritual forces in the Universe. Maybe the psychedelic sex-obsessed Crumb of the 60's and 70's has mellowed in his old age.

The exhibition at Scream Gallery will be part of Comica, the London International Comics Festival, which takes place at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) from 5-26 November.


ROBERT CRUMB EXHIBITION
12th of October 2009
Symbollic Collection are proud to present Robert Crumb 'Uncovered' from the 12th November - 12th December 2009.