Caricatures
What are your views about Caricatures of religious, historic and prominent people? Do you think they insult more than entertain? Are they a freedom of speech or a reason to make light hearted political comment without being called for slander?
Also share some of the most funny Caricatures you have seen.
NOTE: This thread is NOT for the Discussion of the Caricatures about the Prophet Muhammad as that Discussion is already engaged here.
While caricatures can get entirely out of hand, it is within the artists right to draw the world as he sees it. This often includes the satire of religious and political figures that are both amusing but often times correct. Remember that just because its offensive does not mean that the caricature is incorrect. Often times, especially in politics, caricatures show people what they are thinking but cannot say for reasons of their own. In the United States, political satire and caricatures have been allowed and been numerous since the beginning of our nation. As early as the time of the revolution, political caricatures of the King of England circulated the royal colonies. I believe they are a vital part to the operation of free speech, allowing the unspeakable, to be heard.
Beside its own value as a drawing, caricatures frequently manifest an opinion.
That opinion itself may be so controversial as it would be written or said. The fact is a caricature can have the great power of being a work of art, then being a much more powerfull statement.
That tells us something about the power that art can have.
As a caricaturist of historical figures, I don' use it to give opinions. My focus is in the drawing itself. I would call this type a "pure" caricature, undressed of satirical, contextual or anyother senses.