Peanuts Exhibition @ Somerset House

A simple quote goes a long way. Snoopy encapsulates a sense of human warmth that many can empathize with.

Didn't realize how differently Peanuts was drawn back then-  Snoopy looked more like a normal dog and less characterized. From this I could reaffirm that it is alright for styles to change over a period of time as it is natural and better yet for our works to evolve.

I wasn't aware that there is such thing called a "throw-away panel". I doubt if it still applies to modern practices, since the spaces on newspaper might no longer be in tight demand (and the spaces for comic strips might be set...) It takes some narrative wit to make both versions interesting .

Here an example.

A very modern and free interpretation yet is effective in showing the character, which we identify from our memory.

A metal etching plate used to print the comic strip- very different process from modern printing!

Love this appropriation of Peanuts by Ken Kegami! He has drawn over hundreds and thousands of such drawings on his "Charpee" Instagram series, which bring about childish and absurd qualities and evokes a juxtaposed feeling of familiarity and vulgarity. The drawings show another type of humour unfound in the original series (And without the use of dialogue).

Peanuts in ceramic designs, becoming repeating elements!

This is a fun interactive "Draw it yourself" section of the exhibition, where visitors are welcome to generate their own peanuts comic strip.

Available for the non-artsy ones too-- just stencil on the lightbox and add your own dialogue!

My ones- I did four to give some to my friends, because it is fun. And surprisingly I found some of them funnier weeks after I drew them, because with the illustrations the message on my drawings seemed to be more paradoxical, life-existentially humorous.

We feel better when we know we all suffer in same ways.