Political Art, Likeness

Likeness

Peter Brookes, 71, has been a political cartoonist for The Times since 1992. One of his best known pieces is his depiction of Ed Miliband as Wallice from Wallice and Gromit, often along side his canine sidekick Gromit who takes likeness to his right-hand man, Ed Balls. Brookes pointed out it was intact Ed Miliband's wife who made the comparison and the joke has stuck every since.

Figure 1 - Ed Balls

Figure 2 - Ed Miliband 

Figure 3 - Ed Miliband and Ed Balls Depicted as Characters

After looking at Brookes' work and how he has successfully found a chacacter in which policitions look like and able to carry this through his art work I wanted to do similar, but different. Instead of focusing on looks I chose Boris Johnson and wanted to focus a little on his personality. With Boris' public opinion is that he is more of a light hearted politician. He is seen a comical character and I decided to find this through the cartoon character from the Simpsons, Krusty the Clown. Using a character as a visual anchor, Boris Johnson is transformed into the well loved clown. Krusty's character, from watching the Simpson's, is a character who isn't always taken seriously, can be funny, and it is maybe considered people to be laughing at him rather than with him. This is why I thought Boris could portray this character so well. 

Figure 4 - Boris Johnson

Figure 5 - Krusty the Clown

Figure 6 - Boris based on Krusty the clown

Figure 7 - Image coloured on Photoshop 2015.

Image References

Figure 1 - Ed balls (2016b)

Figure 2 - Blakeley, J. (2014b) Ed Miliband – Zionist or Palestine supporter?

Figure 3 - Forsyth, J. (2013b) Laugh now, but Ed Miliband and Ed balls could soon be running the country.

Figure 4 - Mayhew, F. (2014) Boris Johnson 

Figure 5 - Krusty the clown (2016) in Wikipedia.

Bibliography

- 2016, T.N.L. (2012) Cracking likeness, Gromit, and I’m proud to be the Wallace of politics. Available at: http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/politics/article3628435.ece (Accessed: 11 December 2016).

- 2016, T.N.L. (no date) Cartoons. Available at: http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/opinion/article4380226.ece (Accessed: 11 December 2016).

- Add new comment (no date) Available at: https://www.totalpolitics.com/articles/news/times-cartoonist-peter-brookes-talks-tp (Accessed: 11 December 2016).

- Blakeley, J. (2014) Ed Miliband – Zionist or Palestine supporter? Available at: http://www.deliberation.info/ed-miliband-zionist-palestine-supporter/ (Accessed: 11 December 2016).

- Ed balls (2016) in Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Balls (Accessed: 11 December 2016).

- Forsyth, J. (2013) Laugh now, but Ed Miliband and Ed balls could soon be running the country. Available at: http://www.spectator.co.uk/2013/09/ed-milibands-last-laugh/ (Accessed: 11 December 2016).

- Krusty the clown (2016) in Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krusty_the_Clown (Accessed: 11 December 2016).

- Mayhew, F. (2014) Boris Johnson set to endorse report backing Britain’s exit from EU. Available at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-set-to-endorse-report-backing-britains-exit-from-eu-9644999.html (Accessed: 11 December 2016).

- Smith, E. (no date) Add new comment. Available at: http://www.totalpolitics.com/articles/interview/art-poking-fun-politicians (Accessed: 11 December 2016).