Beyond Cartoon by Mila Bollansee
Beyond Cartoon Asian Contemporary Art Group Exhibition A cartoon is any of several forms of illustration with varied meanings. Its name is derived from the Italian “cartone” or the Dutch “karton” meaning strong, heavy paper or pasteboard. Several Italian Renaissance masters like Leonardo Da Vinci or Raphael used cartoons as studies for paintings or tapestries. However the British artist Hogarth and the Spaniard Goya were among the first serious artists to use cartoons in the 18th Century as visual symbols or metaphors to criticize society. In modern times cartoons have expanded to print media, with a humorous or ironic intent. They have acted as metaphors to illustrate social and political situations. Comic strips first appeared in newspapers in the early years of the 20th Century in the United States. They also appeared in Europe, more precisely in Britain and in Belgium in the twenties and the thirties. The famous Belgian cartoonist Hergé had the adventures of his iconic character “T...