Pablo Helguera

I don't know what I want, [Artoons, 2008–2022 series]

A sly sense of humor is key in Pablo Helguera’s long-running Artoons series, one that includes ~1500 drawings made over ten years. It’s no secret that the artworld tends to take itself too seriously, so it’s no surprise that Helguera’s project has developed a large following over the past decade—providing much needed comic relief. Helguera grew up making and exchanging drawings like these with his father and brother, but never made drawing a part of his public practice until in 2008, when he began periodically posting what came to be known as Artoons on Facebook. The series caricatures and lampoons agents and events in the artworld, combining just enough visual reference along with a caption. Always served with a dose of wit or irony, the series avoids contempt and sarcasm. While the drawings have appeared in numerous publications, including a monthly column in the Art Newspaper, a survey was exhibited earlier this year at the Juan March Foundation in Spain. While Helguera references legends like Saul Stienberg as influences, an artist who managed to make cartooning a serious practice used to address complex social and political issues, his work could also be compared to Ad Reinhardt’s practice of cartooning, which sometimes pointed its critical humor at the art world.