Illustrations within political cartoons are often based on
satire as visual metaphors and usually uses symbolism to describe them. Other
methodologies includes anthropomorphism (arguably the most common to use) as a
metaphor to portray people, whether it’s for their characteristics, behaviour
or political gesture and acts as a source to predict something about that
person or movement.
Steve Bell, a political cartoonist uses anthropomorphism as
a visual metaphor to show the characteristics the politicians were being viewed
as by the public, or just in general from his personal view as a cartoonist at
a satire level, mocking politicians for their appearance, gesture and moment
during political debates/speech, as told in an interview (1) “There is something
fox-like about Jeremy Corbyn. He got these eyes which quite slanted and quite
sly looking in a way.” Bell primarily uses facial features to depict
animal-like qualities that shows the embodiment of that animal in relation to
that person’s current motivation or of recent acts/rumours that would otherwise
paint themselves a bad image to the public.
Karl
Marx meets Beatrix Potter: Steve Bell Draws Jeremy Corbyn
An experiment using some of the methods of Steve Bell of
anthropomorphism by implying the theme of Greed as an object (a pot) that
symbolises the ‘pot of gold’ where bankers and politicians have their wallets
fuelled with taxpayer’s money as depicted being poured into their heads, as a
metaphor to visually capture that the minds of politicians are being consumed
with greed and power from within their position in society.
A general experiment depicting manipulation, using objects
or themes as visual metaphors. Politicians using one another as puppets and
proxies in order to gain political control over views, opinions, sympathies and
power. Anthropomorphism deals directly more with personas, while visual
metaphors are more focused on the greater subjects that is being played out that
will have an impact in our society, such as the artist and printmaker, James
Gillray who primarily uses visual metaphors to visually depict moments in time.
John
Bell taking a Luncheon, James Gillray, Etching 1798
Gerald Scarfe, an editorial cartoonist who has worked for
the Sunday Times Newspaper, uses traditional methods with ink to depict the
violence and the horror of real world problems. The methodology of this is to
make the image appear as aggro, while trying to maintain it as satire, though
the sheer amount of violence as being depicted overwhelms the sarcasm, and can
become quite disturbing for the viewers, even though it is an attempt to mock
what is happening that is not far from being the truth.
I
saw a Baby Die Today. Gerald Scarfe
An attempt to depict as violently as possible using brush
strokes and use of colour to give off a disturbing vibe, though this however
loses its sarcasm in a way that it comes as disturbing than being
satirical.
A
depiction of Tony Blair using lines and be as aggro to make the image look
violent in order to paint a bad image and to mock him for his reputation as
prime minister.
References
(1)
Healey, 2015
Bibliography
Healey, A. (2015)
Karl Marx meets Beatrix Potter: Steve Bell Draws Jeremy Corbyn – Video [Online]
[Accessed: 4 Nov 2015] Available from: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/video/2015/sep/30/karl-marx-meets-beatrix-potter-steve-bell-draws-jeremy-corbyn-video
Images
I saw
a Baby Die Today. Gerald Scarfe - [Online] [Accessed: 4 Nov
2015] Available from: http://www.geraldscarfe.com/shop/discount/i-saw-a-baby-die-today/
John
Bell taking a Luncheon. James Gillray [Online] [Accessed: 4 Nov
2015] Available from: https://orwellwasright.wordpress.com/2012/06/15/the-satirical-cartoons-of-james-gillray/
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