Jeff Smith: Before Bone
May 1-September 5
Cartoon Research Library’s Reading Room Gallery
27 West 17th Ave. Mall
Monday-Friday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
To celebrate the opening of this exhibit and its companion exhibition Jeff Smith: Bone and Beyond at the Wexner Center for the Arts, the Cartoon Research Library will be open Saturday, May 10, from 1-5 p.m. This is the only Saturday the exhibit will be open.
Jeff Smith brought a much more polished feature to the campus newspaper than most student cartoonists. From its inception, Thorn, the title of Smith’s Lantern strip which was named after its female protagonist, exhibited an unusual level of sophistication. The strip demonstrated very capable manipulation of layout and design coupled with time-honored comic strip narrative techniques. It is interesting to note that by his early twenties, Smith clearly grasped the power of epic narrative, even though the storyline of Thorn, while sophisticated and entertaining, was not linear.
The vantage point of a quarter century and the phenomenal international success of Bone make us see Jeff Smith’s college cartoons in a different perspective than we did when they first ran in The Lantern. At Ohio State University, the student newspaper describes itself as a “laboratory newspaper,” and it served that purpose very successfully for Smith. He used Thorn both to hone his artistic skills and to experiment with several types of storytelling. From a sketchbook page to finished comic strips, this exhibition celebrates the education of a young man.
A signed and numbered catalogue limited to 500 copies is available. It reprints all of the Thorn comic strips in this exhibit and has an introduction by Jeff Smith, a foreword by his colleague Jim Kammerud and an essay by Lucy Shelton Caswell. The volume is available from the library for $25 per copy. All proceeds from the sale of this catalogue will benefit the Cartoon Research Library.
May 5th, 2008
The Little Black Dress: Fashion Icon
Historic Costume and Textiles Collection
October 19-May 10, 2008
Campbell Hall’s Geraldine Schottenstein Wing
1787 Neil Ave., Columbus OH
Is anything more iconic or versatile than the little black dress? Sixty of the Historic Costume and Textiles Collection’s little black dresses will be on display through May 10, 2008.
The Little Black Dress exhibition illustrates its namesake’s many facets from its beginnings in the late 1920’s through the end of the 20th century. Dresses range from the classy and eternal cocktail dresses from the 50’s and 60’s to the funky styles of the days of disco. Classic pieces that echo the timeless sentiments of Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina and Breakfast at Tiffany’s are featured alongside eclectic pieces, such as the dress featuring a design of the Eiffel Tower fashioned from silver buttons by Patrick Kelly, the first African American to show in Paris.
Many of these dresses are created by some of fashion’s most well-known and respected names including Christian Dior, Oscar de la Renta, Calvin Klein, and Chanel, the designer credited with “inventing” the little black dress. Two are creations from the minds of Irene Lentz Gibbons and Gilbert Adrian who made their reputations designing for MGM in Hollywood’s golden years. Still, others are amazing examples of the beautiful work among the legions of unnamed designers who worked in the industry during the middle of the 20th century.
This exhibition explores the many facets of the little black dress. It is not as simple as its name implies. How can it be when it ruined the reputation of Madame X on the one hand, and elevated Audrey Hepburn’s star status on the other? However, as trends and styles change through the years, one thing remains constant. The little black dress will always be essential in any woman’s wardrobe.
For gallery hours and parking information, please visit the Historic Costumes’ web site and to schedule a tour of 10 or more call, 292-3090.
October 16th, 2007
