Ronald Searle

Ronald Searle, along with Andre Francois and Saul Steinberg, is internationally acknowledged as being one of the great graphic satirists of our time. He is also one of the most original draughtsmen to have emerged this century, and he has had a considerable influence on pictorial humour. This splendidly witty album, the first substantial study of Searle, draws on his work in the last ten years (most of it previously unpublished), to reveal just how varied and subtle is his art. Ronald Searle's articulate and very personal way of expressing himself in line brought him early fame and, whilst still in his twenties, he was acclaimed as having 'effected a one-man revolution in the world of visual humour'. This prodigy of the 1950s did not burn out as rapidly as he rose, for today, forty-three years after his first appearance in print at the age of fifteen, he has successfully extended his activities to include film animation, printmaking, painting and three-dimensional work in clay. But he works always with wit, never losing sight of his main purpose, to caricature. Whether he likes it or not, Searle's work has slid under the jealously-guarded fence of the 'fine arts', but always with a laugh, however wry. Two experts (and friends) examine the man and his work: Professor Henning Bock's introduction is based on some years of professional and personal acquaintance; and Pierre Dehaye, Director of the French Mint, with whom Searle has realized a number of projects, examines the humorist from another angle. In addition, an illustrated chapter of unexpectedly revealing biographical notes helps to fill in the picture. For the record, Searle's basic work from 1939 is extensively documented. Nevertheless, to be pedantic about humour (or a humorist) is ridiculous in itself. It should not be forgotten that the subject of this book is laughter and that it sets out to achieve two purposes: to present the work of a unique artist and also to provide entertainment. 233 pages.