What’s Wrong With Today’s Society, As Captured In 30 Honest Illustrations By Gerhard Haderer (New Pics)
Edgar Degas, a 19th-century French impressionist, once said, “Art is not what you see, but what you make others see”. Indeed, with their intricate work, artists often send a message, which can evoke all sorts of emotions, be it astonishment, joy, anger, or others. And as the quote suggests, make us notice things we haven’t yet; or, in some cases, aren’t willing to.
Some uncomfortable truths are depicted in the works of the Austrian cartoonist and caricaturist Gerhard Haderer. His satirical depictions of current-day society are brutally honest, yet often accurate as well. We have gathered some of them into this list, so you can have a look at what he was trying to make others see with his artwork. Scroll down to find the thought-provoking images below.
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Born in Leonding, Austria, Gerhard Haderer is considered by some to be the best cartoonist and caricaturist in the German-speaking world. Over the years he has worked as a graphic artist, draughtsman, and illustrator for advertising companies, as well as a freelance cartoonist and satire illustrator.
During his multifaceted career, the artist has covered numerous topics, from politics to religion and even veganism, and appeared in an abundance of publications. He has also released books, one of which, titled ‘Das Leben des Jesus’ (or ‘The Life of Jesus’), created quite a commotion among some people, leading up to Haderer even facing court in Greece.
I am just watching this photo on my phone at my home while it is a beautiful day outside, pittying people who can’t appreciate and enjoy nature without involving technology.
I want to savor the occasion with a picture! Not everyone has photographuc memory
Load More Replies...Okay but none of them caught the other's phone on the camera?
SAME! It's cameraception --- second row photographs sundown+ 2 cameras at least, third row captures those so it shows two cameras each showing two cameras, plus bits of the first row etc etc... This camera should show at least 2^5 + 2^4 +2^3 + ... = at least 63 cameras.
Load More Replies...Photos are nice to share. Now, take the picture, put the camera down and enjoy the scenery with your own two eyes. I love photos, but we don't need the cell phones in our faces all of the time.
UGH! I hate when people do this! Trying to watch a video with blurry sides drives me crazy!
Load More Replies...There's absolutely nothing wrong with taking out your phone real quick to get a pic to remember and look at later. It's not like you're gonna be on your phone the whole time. Why do people act like taking pics is wrong now?
Oh man i hate when people capture they're experience to look back on it, how dare they!!!
This drives me completely insane. Especially at events. I have family members who are always recording the event to post on social media, thinking they are watching it live even though they are really just watching their phones. I got put in charge of the live stream for my brothers wedding, and I barely felt like I was even actually watching the ceremony because I was paying attention to where the camera was pointing for everyone else. A picture here and there is one thing, but don't live your life behind a phone screen guys.
Probably just coincidence, but this cartoon is just an echo of a cartoon by Australian cartoonist Michael Leunig from OVER 40 YEARS AGO: tv-sunrise...59fc7b.jpg
Places like this have to be sensed with more than the eyes. There is nothing like closing your eyes and listening to a place, or smelling the sand and water.
Oh, please. You can appreciate reality in the present and also capture a photograph--or several--to look back on and remember the occasion in the future. Taking pictures and posting pictures can be exercises in gratitude. I hate this attitude that routinely utilizing technology to document special moments is inauthentic and pathetic, and less preferable to just observing with the eye and reflecting with the mind.
I am just amazed at people at baseball games (probably other sports too) just staring at their phones. I don't get why they paid for the ticket...? Or are they watching the game on their phones?
Stop vilifying people taking video and photos. Society is fine if it's a person with a standalone camera, but heaven forbid you use the camera that's on your phone. Do you stop people who paint outdoors too?
I get to enraptured with the scene that I forget to take a picture.
I enjoy and treasure pics like this. Sometimes it is so beautiful that you watch it but before it's gone, I preserve it so I can look at it and remember the infinite beauty and marvel at how small we really are..
‘The Life of Jesus’ is a cartoon book of religious satire, depicting the life of Christ in a way that some Greeks didn’t find appropriate. In the beginning of 2005, a court in Athens charged the artist with blasphemy and banned the book itself. The restriction on the book was reportedly the first ban of its kind in Greece in more than 20 years.
Gerhard Haderer was given a six-month suspended sentence in absentia. However, according to Refworld, in March of the same year, the court acquitted him of all charges. The decision was based on the grounds that the book’s humorous qualities precluded it from being maliciously blasphemous.
In addition to religion, Haderer’s works often touch upon other sensitive topics as well, such as politics, for instance. As seen in the examples on this list, he also depicts relevant societal problems, from consumerism to the negative ways technology affects our everyday lives.
The artist’s brutally honest depictions of our society are not completely baseless. For example, a person taking a selfie quite literally in the jaws of danger shows the extent to which some people are willing to go for a picture. Unfortunately, it can lead to tragedy at times. Newsroom revealed that between the year 2008 and 2021, as many as 379 people were killed due to selfies.
Quite a few of Gerhard Haderer’s illustrations cover the negative influence technology has on people. They often portray the younger generation as the one more prone to being glued to their phones, which is sadly quite representative of reality nowadays.
Research reveals that even though the usage depends heavily on the domain of technology, young adults typically use it more than those older than them. According to Pew Research Center’s 2019 survey, 93% of millennials owned smartphones, compared to 90% of Gen X representatives, and 68% of baby boomers.
close enough... nowadays one person will be watching TV, the rest on their own devices.
Facing unfavorable but true facts can be a pill that’s hard to swallow. That’s why some artwork is often deemed controversial or even offensive by some people. However, controversial art can have a positive effect on society nevertheless, as it typically evokes important discussions and can lead to positive change.
I don't know what to think about this one, a lots of adults are complaining about the youth being always on the phone (or tablet, etc..) but those are the same that give their babies a phone when they are busy (or when they don't have time to play with them, or when they want time alone)
Too true! Especially if you live in an area that gets lots of tourists... last week, I opened my door and came almost face to face with a drone.. even though there're signs everywhere saying it's prohibited... it's not even the first time something similar happens... I mean, you can imagine how many times it must've happened before we got the signs... Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against those who just want a bit of a panoramic view from up high... but if we can reach out and grab your drone, you're definitely aware of what you're doing, and it's not for the "panoramic view", that's for sure!
Artabys emphasized that controversial art typically brings light to certain political and social issues, this way sparking public conversation about them. It becomes a method of expressing different points of view that encourages others to get acquainted with them. Whether it’s related to politics, technology, or other topics, controversial art also drives the development of artistic expression itself.
The real clowns are the people these guys are laughing at. Us, the voting proletariat that keeps them in power with promises of cake and circuses. They know what they're doing.
An article in Artland Magazine discussed some examples of controversial art presented over the last decades. For instance, Marcel Duchamp’s ‘Fountain’—a urinal that was introduced as art back in 1917 and raised a lot of questions about the definition of art itself. Or ‘Guernica’ by Pablo Picasso—an anti-war statement condemning the bombing of the town of Guernica in 1937.
Being attracted to the stench of s**t? Edit: On further reflection, I think it’s more to do with flies feed on things that are rotting.
When it comes to paintings and similar forms of expression, graffiti is often considered a controversial one. What some people find to be beautiful pieces showcasing someone’s creativity, others deem vandalism. People are typically split into two camps about it, and the one that’s not in favor of it is usually bigger. A 2014 survey revealed that as much as 51% of people in the US didn’t consider graffiti to be art.
I think this is what some are considering for the future of schools in the US sadly
It’s not only paintings that can be controversial, though. Music can also raise a lot of eyebrows and American composer John Cage proved that to be true. His piece titled ‘4’33’ (or ‘four minutes, thirty-three seconds’), first performed back in 1952, is a three-movement piece of… silence.
The composer was inspired by Robert Rauschenberg’s ‘White Painting’, which were seemingly just plain white canvases. Similarly, Cage’s composition consisted of nothing more than silence. Three parts of it; 30 seconds for the first one, two minutes, 23 seconds for the second, and one minute, 40 seconds for the third.
In an episode of the ‘Speaking of Psychology’ podcast, professor emerita of psychology at Boston College, Ellen Winner, PhD, pointed out that artists are continuously pushing the boundaries by creating something people wouldn’t have considered art before. That’s why it’s so difficult to determine what exactly art is, which might make certain works seem controversial.
If you’d like to delve deeper into the art world, browse this list of some of the most well-recognized paintings previously shared by Bored Panda, or take a look at these amazing examples of street art. There’s also a list dedicated entirely to Oreo cookie artwork for those who are interested in somewhat less conventional mediums.
THey are sitting in their cars like that because it's a take on the endless traffic jams when holiday season begins. So they spend the majority of their holidays in the traffic jam.
Some of these are good, but holy sh*t, so many are just inflammatory depictions of made-up problems. Nothing wrong with using a computer to check the news. Nothing wrong with taking a photo of a memory (stop gatekeeping how people enjoy things). Not every new behaviour is evil.
I found the one of the chicken, as previously stated, very.. uh, distressing if thats fhe right word. Dont know why its so different than the others photos. myabe its it being a animal that i personally own, or something like that lol thank to whoever reads this rambling, i dont blame you if you dont
Context? For all those BP articles where some writer explains a TikTok video without adding a gram of information, there's nothing added here? I suspect I might agree with many of the points being raise here, but without context, they just look like ugly paintings of ugly people doing strangely ugly things.
Satire is open to interpretation. It forces you to confront truth, or give consideration to another opinion.
Load More Replies...That's... just a bunch of pretentious shait. Technology is bad, different way of living is bad, modern world is bad. Also minding your own business is seemingly bad, since there's even commentary about what people do whilst on the toilet. Most "problems" either are none, or are completely blown out of proportion, just for the person to be angry, or concerned about it. The one with the chicken was still the most impressive, though it's also very dumb. Since you can just buy eggs from free range chicken and Austria -which this dude comes from- is a country with pretty high standards in how to keep animals already.
He's a well known cartoonist, together with Manfred Deix who died a couple of years ago way too young. Haderer's cartoons are widely published in Austria and Germany.
Thankfully that's the first time I really saw anything of this guy. Although being from Bavaria. It's just so wildly unclever I can't even begin to understand how much mental boomer one must be and how self absorbed, to make the same "book good, phone bad" comment over and over again, mix it with some pretentious nonsense and think it shows how wise they are. Yikes.
Load More Replies...A disappointing number of these seem to be the same "TECHNOLOGY BAD NEW WAYS OF LIFE BAD" stuff featured in so many Boomer comics. People always love to complain about the generations that come after them -- even Socrates was doing it thousands of years ago!
a lot of this is just veiled right-wing talking points. there's nothing wrong with being vegan. there's nothing wrong with using technology. I'd guess that these drawings were in part made with technology. the corruption in large religions is not caused by being queer. and it's literally been proven that if there are less ways to drive and more alternative transportation there will be less traffic. (am I the only one that thinks it's a bit strange to be commenting on traffic issues and animal abuse in the food industry, but also be anti-vegan?)
Some are overly political, and hardly relatable. Came for a laugh, walks out happy because I'm not stressed out with the world's problem like the artist is. Call me apathetic I don't care, in this crazy world your personal happiness must come first.
So many of these needed explanations that I just stopped after the first 20.
To each his own. If this is German humour, its another reason to be grateful for Hitlers loss.
What thoughts did it provoke? That you should throw out all your technology and start talking with strangers about what other people do whilst on the toilet?
Load More Replies...Some of these are good, but holy sh*t, so many are just inflammatory depictions of made-up problems. Nothing wrong with using a computer to check the news. Nothing wrong with taking a photo of a memory (stop gatekeeping how people enjoy things). Not every new behaviour is evil.
I found the one of the chicken, as previously stated, very.. uh, distressing if thats fhe right word. Dont know why its so different than the others photos. myabe its it being a animal that i personally own, or something like that lol thank to whoever reads this rambling, i dont blame you if you dont
Context? For all those BP articles where some writer explains a TikTok video without adding a gram of information, there's nothing added here? I suspect I might agree with many of the points being raise here, but without context, they just look like ugly paintings of ugly people doing strangely ugly things.
Satire is open to interpretation. It forces you to confront truth, or give consideration to another opinion.
Load More Replies...That's... just a bunch of pretentious shait. Technology is bad, different way of living is bad, modern world is bad. Also minding your own business is seemingly bad, since there's even commentary about what people do whilst on the toilet. Most "problems" either are none, or are completely blown out of proportion, just for the person to be angry, or concerned about it. The one with the chicken was still the most impressive, though it's also very dumb. Since you can just buy eggs from free range chicken and Austria -which this dude comes from- is a country with pretty high standards in how to keep animals already.
He's a well known cartoonist, together with Manfred Deix who died a couple of years ago way too young. Haderer's cartoons are widely published in Austria and Germany.
Thankfully that's the first time I really saw anything of this guy. Although being from Bavaria. It's just so wildly unclever I can't even begin to understand how much mental boomer one must be and how self absorbed, to make the same "book good, phone bad" comment over and over again, mix it with some pretentious nonsense and think it shows how wise they are. Yikes.
Load More Replies...A disappointing number of these seem to be the same "TECHNOLOGY BAD NEW WAYS OF LIFE BAD" stuff featured in so many Boomer comics. People always love to complain about the generations that come after them -- even Socrates was doing it thousands of years ago!
a lot of this is just veiled right-wing talking points. there's nothing wrong with being vegan. there's nothing wrong with using technology. I'd guess that these drawings were in part made with technology. the corruption in large religions is not caused by being queer. and it's literally been proven that if there are less ways to drive and more alternative transportation there will be less traffic. (am I the only one that thinks it's a bit strange to be commenting on traffic issues and animal abuse in the food industry, but also be anti-vegan?)
Some are overly political, and hardly relatable. Came for a laugh, walks out happy because I'm not stressed out with the world's problem like the artist is. Call me apathetic I don't care, in this crazy world your personal happiness must come first.
So many of these needed explanations that I just stopped after the first 20.
To each his own. If this is German humour, its another reason to be grateful for Hitlers loss.
What thoughts did it provoke? That you should throw out all your technology and start talking with strangers about what other people do whilst on the toilet?
Load More Replies...