The Art of Rube Goldberg
The Contemporary Jewish Museum makes the diversity of the Jewish experience relevant for a twenty-first century audience through innovative exhibitions and programs that educate, challenge, and inspire.
The Art of Rube Goldberg was organized by Jennifer George, the granddaughter of Rube Goldberg, who lives in New York, and this exhibition makes its only California appearance at The Contemporary Jewish Museum. Accompanied by a delightful coffee-table style catalog including interactive cover, the exhibition includes original drawings of his beloved machines, photographs, toys, films, newspaper clippings, and more.
The Art of Rube Goldberg explores the career of Rube Goldberg (1883–1970), one of the most celebrated and influential cartoonists of all time. Marking the first comprehensive retrospective exhibition of Goldberg’s work since 1970, the exhibition brings together never-before-exhibited original drawings and preparatory sketches alongside rare photographs, films, letters, and memorabilia from the Goldberg famil
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
The exhibition begins with Goldberg’s groundbreaking early work, with original drawings tracing his rise to prominence as a nationally syndicated presence in the 1920s and 1930s. Highlights include one of Goldberg’s earliest existing drawings, “The Old Violinist,” from 1895, an original concept drawing of Boob McNutt and Bertha from the 1920s, as well as original artwork for such daily and weekly comic strip series as Foolish Questions, Mike and Ike—They Look Alike, Lala Palooza, and Boob McNutt from the 1910s and 1920s. The influence of vaudeville, jazz, and early film on Goldberg’s art is explored while his satirical take on fashion, sports, politics, gender roles, and other aspects of modern life is celebrated. Rare family photographs and early films provide period detail and essential context. Three full-page comics from the color supplements of Sunday newspapers (featuring Bill and Boob McNutt’s Ark) are shown alongside the original artwork.
