Dallas Contemporary will present "Who’s Afraid of Cartoony Figuration?," a multi-dimensional group exhibition curated by Adjunct Curator Alison M. Gingeras. The exhibition features works by artists Karolina Jabłońska, Sally Saul, Tabboo!, and Umar Rashid that dare to mix the levity of cartoons, comics, and commercial illustration with some of the most pressing socio-political subjects of our day.

Beginning in the mid-20th century, a distinct lineage of figurative painters emerged that appropriated the visual styles of cartoons, comics, and commercial illustration. This stylistic choice was made at great risk, with the gravitas of the socio-political content at hand oftentimes being obscured or downplayed by the so-called ‘unserious’ cultural associations around their chosen formal language.

"Who’s Afraid of Cartoony Figuration?" acknowledges this rich history by examining the work of contemporary artists who have taken up this mantle and explores the ambiguous, subversive content from its “comix” packaging. Unwrapping the complexities that lie beneath the irreverent, populist aesthetics of cartoony figuration, the exhibitions presents works by artists coming from different generations, geographies, and practices that have honed their cartoony figuration to address critical subjects of the present day.

Following the opening day, the exhibit will be on view through September 22.