Now They Expect Me to Pay for This 1918

Editor: Here we have Clifford Kennedy Berryman’s pen and ink drawing, “Now They Expect Me to Pay for This,” created in 1918. The mood feels… defeated, almost comical despite the weighty subject matter. All of these heavy blocks appear to have crushed the figure. What's your interpretation of the work? Curator: What I notice first are the materials, the directness of the pen and ink, and the reproduction technology for political cartoons like this in 1918. Berryman's labour, rapidly producing images for mass consumption, aimed to shape public opinion about war debts and the Treaty of Versailles. Consider the choice of materials – cheap, easily reproducible, designed for quick impact in newspapers. What does that say about the intended lifespan and value assigned to this piece? Editor: So, it's not just about the message, but also about how it was made to be seen and how that impacted its audience? Curator: Precisely! The industrial printing process itself becomes part of the artwork’s meaning. The artist uses readily available materials for quick distribution in order to influence public opinion in support or against the treaty. Is it more about rapid persuasion and collective anxiety, less about lasting artistic expression? Editor: It's interesting to consider it that way. I always thought of art from this period being oil on canvas, but this drawing was produced with different intention: social impact. I also appreciate the humor injected. Curator: And the humor is crucial! Berryman uses caricature, readily printed via industrial means, as a potent tool for shaping social narrative during this era. The means of production become integral to interpreting its historical significance. What does that make you consider further? Editor: It really makes you think about how materials and access affect art.