Major Cartoon exhibition now on - Closes 6 March 2022

Published on 19 February 2022

Now on at the Cowra Regional Art Gallery is the exhibition Behind the Lines 2021 on tour from the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House. The exhibition celebrates the role of political cartoonists in Australia and highlights the power that their drawings have in contributing to our daily political and social discourse. The works in this thought-provoking exhibition are unique, vibrant and fearless in the tradition of political cartooning. No politician, party or policy is safe from the nation’s best cartoonists; witty, powerful or controversial, their images offer an astutely observed journey through twelve months in our political life.

Behind the Lines 2021 is rummaging in the fortune-teller’s chest for a crystal ball. Just as predictive models have become ever-present in the news cycle, the exhibition’s current theme, Prophecy & Chance, acknowledges our discomfort with uncertainty and our quest to know what the future holds.                                     

Peering into the swirling mists of the ‘Canberra bubble’, our talented political cartoonists have illuminated the complex issues of 2021’s ‘new normal’ - a year peppered with big reports, unexpected outcomes and floundering forecasts. From COVID-19 case numbers to house prices and employment levels, 2021 was a year to expect the unexpected.                                                                                                                         

Alongside the all-too-familiar stories of leadership jockeying and funding scandals, a handful of issues dominated the headlines: the pandemic and vaccine rollout, the treatment of women in our democracy, climate change and government policy. Luckily our artists were on hand to read the tea leaves and cut through the spin. This must-see exhibition continues at the Cowra Regional Art Gallery to Sunday 6 March 2022.                                                                                               

The Cowra Regional Art Gallery is located at 77 Darling Street Cowra 2794. Admission is free. Gallery hours are Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4pm and Sunday 2pm to 4pm. For more information contact the Gallery administration on (02) 6340 2190. 

For more information contact Brian Langer, Gallery Director, Cowra Regional Art Gallery on 0429 072 282 or email blanger@cowra.nsw.gov.au

Cowra Regional Art Gallery is a cultural facility of the Cowra Shire Council.