More than doodles

The Museum of Cartoon Art and Caricature in Warsaw is exhibiting the works of graphic artist and illustrator Janusz Stanny. The exhibition, entitled "Homework," marks 50 years of Stanny's work as well as his 75th birthday, and serves as a great introduction to the work of a "living legend," as Marek Wojciech Chmurzyński, the museum's director, describes Stanny.

Born in 1932, Stanny is a truly versatile individual. He is a graphic artist and painter, as well as a writer and satirist. He is also a professor and lecturer at Warsaw's Academy of Fine Arts, and has illustrated Polish and foreign literary works, including the Bible, the works of Adam Mickiewicz, Miguel de Cervantes and Hans Christian Andersen.

The museum states that the exhibition is directed to "particularly demanding" viewers - those that love art and seek intellectual challenges. "Our exhibition consists of two sections," says Grażyna Godziejewska, the exhibition's curator. "One is more serious, presenting his illustrations and artistic works, the other purely satirical."

As for satirical art, Stanny has been actively involved in the genre since the 1950s, when he published his first works in the cult satirical weekly Szpilki. Today his cartoons can be found in titles such as the Gazeta Wyborcza daily newspaper, or the Przeglàd weekly. The museum describes the cartoons on show as subtle and sophisticated, requiring the viewer to make some effort to see hidden meaning behind the camouflage. Still, once the viewer gets it, the reward is a great deal of laughter. Will the subtleties of Stanny's satire be understandable for foreign visitors as well? "Surely, they will," ensures Godziejewska.

The exhibition lasts until May 6. For more information see www.muzeumkarykatury.pl