EAST HARLEM — It's all drawn from New York life.
New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast's drawings depicting common New York experiences, and beyond, are on display at the Museum of the City of New York.
More than 200 pieces will be exhibited in Chast's "Cartoon Memoirs" through October — including one that captures the anxiety of waiting for the L train and another commenting on individuals taking the walk of shame.
“Those of us lucky enough to call New York City home will see ourselves, our friends, our neighbors and our relatives in her cartoons, and museum-goers who come from greater distances will get to explore, confirm, and challenge many of their pre-suppositions about New York City and its inhabitants with laughter as a guide," said Whitney Donhauser, the museum's Ronay Menschel Director.
"Our hope is that Roz’s quintessentially New York sense of humor will help everyone digest and appreciate the silliness and oddities that make the five boroughs so special."
Chast, who was born in Brooklyn, has had more than 1,200 cartoons published in magazines and she's illustrated several children's books.
Nine of her collections have been published, with her latest being "Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant" in 2014, which is a memoir of when she lost her elderly parents.
Chast doesn't shy away from the emotions and experiences that make us uncomfortable, according to Frances Rosenfeld, the curator of the exhibition.
"Her ability to embrace the awkward and eccentric parts of New York City and life in general allows her to achieve a rare blend of insightful and amusing," Rosenfeld said. "To get to know Roz’s oeuvre is to truly explore what it means to be a New Yorker and honestly examine how that personality works or doesn’t work inside and outside of the five boroughs."
The museum is also holding a discussion with Chast on May 6 that will cover her career, her view of life as a native New Yorker and her newest book.
The exhibition will be on view from April 14 to Oct. 9 at the museum, located at 1220 Fifth Ave. at 103rd Street. Admission is $14 for adults, $10 for students and seniors and free for kids under 19.
