Curator Conversation: Satire in Pictures

Examine the use of satire as a powerful and complex communications tool with Wes Tyrell, president of the Association of Canadian Cartoonists and ROM’s Akiko Takesue. Using the Museum’s collection of 19th century Japanese namazu-e, or catfish prints – quickly produced in the aftermath of the 1855 Edo earthquake that did significant damage to what is now Tokyo – Tyrell and Takesue compare and contrast these satirical Earthquake Prints with contemporary Canadian political cartoons, guiding the audience through the historic and cultural references that allows satire to resonate with its target audiences.

This program is co-presented by ROM and The Japan Foundation, Toronto for the online exhibition Aftershocks: Japanese Earthquake Prints.

Recorded October 25, 2022