Charles Addams: Cartoonist at Bruce Museum
By STAN PARCHIN
October 12, 2009
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| Charles Addams (American, 1912-1988). Thrift Shop (undated). Ink on paper. 66 x 76.2 cm (26 x 30 in.). © Charles Addams with permission of Tee and Charles Addams Foundation. |
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| Charles Adams (American, 1912-1988). Laughing Witches (undated). Ink on paper. 66 x 55.9 cm (26 x 22 in.). © Charles Addams with permission of Tee and Charles Addams Foundation. |
The Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Connecticut hosts the special exhibition Charles Addams: Cartoonist from October 3, 2009 to January 24, 2010. Some 40 framed original works on paper by the beloved American artist (1912-1988) provide a rich sample of his sophisticated wit and often macabre humor.
During his youth in suburban Westfield, New Jersey, Addams was attracted to a cemetery and Victorian houses. One deserted dwelling became the setting for his ghoulish Addams Family cartoons featuring the eccentric yet enchanting characters Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester, Cousin It and others. Addams once remarked in an interview, "If I've haunted you, I have done my job."
After a few attempts at higher education, Addams was hired as a cartoonist by The New Yorker magazine in 1935. He produced several thousand works during his lifetime, some 1,500 of which were printed by The New Yorker, newspapers and other publications. In addition to The Addams Family, the artist's themes included At Work, Holidays, New York City, Relationships and No Explanation Necessary. The Addams Family became a popular television show (1964-66). And the illustrator's books of collected cartoons were bestsellers.
Charles Addams' cartoons were the subject of exhibitions at the Fogg Art Museum, Rhode Island School of Design, New York Public Library and Museum of the City of New York. The Bruce Museum's installation includes DVD excerpts of The Addams Family television series.
