Gerald Scarfe

Caricature of Bush  and Brown

Few artists have made their mark on political and celebrity figures with such a cutting style over the past 50 years. When this British illustrator puts his flowing ink to paper, the result is guaranteed to raise eyebrows – if not shock.

The caricatured and often grotesque figures in the illustrations penned by Gerald Scarfe find their roots in his childhood riddled with illness.

Drawing became his main source of entertainment as he lay bedridden for long periods with asthma and evolved into a career that has spanned a half century of parodying those in power. However, it was Pink Floyd’s iconic The Wall album that brought Scarfe’s work to an even wider and younger audience.

His memorable drawings for the album and later the movie, led him to other projects that even included Disney’s feature-length animation, Hercules. Beyond the illustrations, Scarfe’s work can be found in exhibitions, theatre set and costume design and even directing shows and films, but it’s his razor sharp cartoons and drawings that remain the hallmark of one of Britain’s most talented artists.

Watch part one of this episode of One on One on Youtube

Watch part two of this episode of One on One on Youtube

This episode of One on One aired from Saturday, January 12, 2008

---

To contact us click on ‘Send your feedback’ at the top of the page

Watch Al Jazeera English programmes on YouTube

Join our debates on the Your Views page