Interviewed by Adrian Lilly and Betsy Meacham, Blue Water Communications
Ralph Steadman and Ceri Levy discuss the original works of “The Gonzovation Trilogy” on view in the retrospective “Ralph Steadman: And Another Thing”
As one of the most influential illustrators and comic artists of the last six decades, Ralph Steadman is famous for his long collaboration with journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson. Steadman and Thompson were known for their scathing social and political commentary and secured their place in pop culture history with the June 1970 publication of their first joint effort, “The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved” in Scanlan’s Monthly. Dubbed “Gonzo” by Boston Globe journalist Bill Cardoso, their form of journalism continues to be prominent in today’s online news sources, editorial pieces, social media, videos, political punditry and podcasts.
Steadman, however, has also long been an advocate for environmental issues. Currently touring the United States, a retrospective of Steadman’s work, “Ralph Steadman: And Another Thing,” features a selection of 149 original artworks and objects. His passion for conservation is illustrated through works that appeared in the books “Extinct Boids” (2012), “Nextinction” (2015) and “Critical Critters” (2017), which focus on endangered animals. These works — created with author, conservationist and filmmaker Ceri Levy — gave birth to the Gonzovation Movement. The three books together have come to be known as “The Gonzovation Trilogy.”
The books also demonstrate Steadman’s mantra, which is always to experiment. He used his environmentally conscious method of dirty water to create drawings for “Critical Critters.”
“I throw dirty water — from the water I wash my brushes in — down onto pure white paper and wait three days, at least, for it to dry,” Steadman explained. “Probably when the drawing or painting is nearing completion, then I do something spontaneous, and I either succeed or it’s buggered! The surprising results and effects encourage me to use my inventive aptitude, and it challenges me to draw something that simply would not be there before. There is nothing more challenging than a white sheet of paper.”
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Featured image credit: Ralph Steadman, “Di Dodo,” 2011, Pen and ink on paper, 84 x 59.5 cm.