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The Bible Illuminated: R. Crumb’s Book of GenesisPost an Event »

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San Jose Museum of Art

June 23 - September 26, 2011

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110 South Market Street San Jose, CA 95113
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The Bible Illuminated: R. Crumb’s Book of Genesis R. Crumb, "The Book of Genesis Illustrated by R. Crumb," 2009. Courtesy the artist; Paul Morris; and David Zwirner, New York
The San Jose Museum of Art will showcase the work of legendary underground comic artist R. Crumb this summer. The Bible Illuminated: R. Crumb’s Book of Genesis will be on view from June 23 through September 25, 2011. The exhibition will feature 207 individual, black-and-white drawings from Crumb’s critically acclaimed 2009 adaptation of the first book of the Bible, which incorporates every word from all fifty chapters. Crumb, who is known for his underground comic creations Fritz the Cat, Mr. Natural, and other characters, spent five years on this ambitious endeavor, which has garnered praise from comic book aficionados and art lovers around the world. The Book of Genesis Illustrated by R. Crumb was published by W.W. Norton in October 2009. The exhibition incorporates Crumb’s original drawings from the 224-page book, as well as a cover, title page, introduction, and back cover adaptation. Crumb drew mainly upon the King James Version of the Bible for his unabridged Genesis. Each drawing contains six to eight comic panels that illustrate the stories of Adam and Eve, Noah’s Ark, Sodom and Gomorrah, and more, all in the artist’s signature bawdy style. In his review of the book for the New York Times David Hajdu wrote, “Crumb luxuriates in the carnality of Genesis without playing it for gratuitous shock or comic effect.” This exhibition is organized by the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles. Generous support is provided by Brenda K. Potter. The San Jose Museum of Art’s run of The Bible Illuminated is sponsored by McManis Faulkner.