Roz Chast received a BFA in 1977 from Rhode Island School of Design with
studies in graphic design and painting. However, after graduation she returned
to the cartooning which she had begun in high school. Less than two years
out of college, she was added to the forty or so artists under contract
to The New Yorker in January 1979. The New Yorker has continually published
her work for 25 years, from black and white cartoons to color spreads, back
pages and covers. In addition, she has provided cartoons and editorial illustrations
for almost fifty magazines and journals-- from Mother Jones to Town & Country.
She has illustrated several children's books, contributed to many humor
collections, lectured widely, and received several prestigious awards, including
an honorary doctorate from Pratt Institute in 1998. Chast has exhibited
in numerous group and solo shows. The artist lives in Connecticut with her
family and several parrots.
Chast is internationally recognized as a pioneer of a new type of cartoon
making which emerged in the 1970s, when she became a regular contributor
to the New Yorker Magazine. Since then, nine collections have been published
of Chast's work, including Theories of Everything, a twenty five year survey.
Roz Chast is known for her cast of recurring characters-- generally hapless
but relatively cheerful "everyfolk." In her cartoons, she addresses the
issues of our time including guilt, anxiety, aging, families, friends, money,
real estate, and as she would say, "much, much more!" The editor of The
New Yorker, David Remnick, has called her "the magazine's only certifiable
genius." She recently collaborated with Steve Martin on the children's book
"The Alphabet from A to Y with Bonus Letter Z!" published by Random House.
Survey [view
images]
Theories of Everything 1978-2006 [view
images]