Public Notice is pleased to present “Calling for the Jester”, a group show featuring the works of Joachim Castañeda, Henry Fey, Spencer Harris, and Jack Lloyd. The exhibition is on view through November 16, 2024 at Soho Warehouse in DTLA
When the King is upset, he does not call for the Queen, his knight, or the chef. He calls for the jester.
-Unknown
Cartoons and animation have long been used as a digestive way to lay bare the realities of life. Characters including, but not limited to Mickey Mouse, Charlie Brown, and Wile E. Coyote have been a part of the western cultural lexicon since their cartoon births and synonymously their various lives playing out across frames have become a part of most children’s upbringings. Cartoons help young children understand a complex set of ideas more easily, develop their working memory, motivate them and foster the development of a visual learning style. (Robinson and Schraw, 2008) To watch and read cartoons is to come to understand a life outside of your own. In this way, these characters become important not only in childhood, but throughout adulthood. At times, they even become more relevant over the years, providing cultural critique, humor, and a proper dose of escapism.
This is where “Calling for the Jester” takes flight, with Castañeda, Fey, Harris, and Lloyd all employing known imagery of characters or cartoon aesthetics to examine the personal.
