‘Classic Scouse insults’ feature in new exhibition

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Angela Ferguson

BBC News, Merseyside

Modern Toss A man in a black coat and black trousers is kneeling in front of a golden toilet, which is on a raised red plinth. The toilet has golden columns and decorative detailing. The toilet is on display in an exhibition place, with two people nearby smiling and taking a photo.Modern Toss

A fully flushing golden toilet which plays a selection of music is among the items on display at the exhibition

“Classic Scouse insults” and a musical golden toilet are among the offerings at a satirical art exhibition which has opened in Liverpool.

Jon Link, who co-founded cartoonist duo Modern Toss, said he and Mick Bunnage chose to launch the retrospective in the city due to its sense of humour.

The interactive exhibition looks back on 21 years of Modern Toss, whose art includes satire on working life.

Link said the pair were enjoying being in Liverpool and it seemed the perfect place because people “aren’t afraid to laugh at the state of things”.

Modern Toss A mini model village is surrounded by trees and grass and a cartoon character is riding a scooter around a narrow road encompassing the village. The exhibit is covered in a glass dome.Modern Toss

The Drive By Model Village exhibit is sponsored by Robert Smith from The Cure, Jon Link said

“A lot of our jokes are about people telling their boss where to stick it, and we thought where better to start the tour than in Liverpool,” he added.

Link said he was touched to receive some feedback from one fan of their work who had already been in to see the exhibition at the Northern Lights art gallery.

“The first thing he said was that ‘your cartoons helped get me through lockdown’,” Link said.

Asked what drew people to their work, Link said: “I think it’s relatable stuff and it’s just a feeling that there’s someone else that probably feels the same as you and someone stupid enough to turn it into a cartoon.”

Modern Toss A cartoon-style figure of a man with a blue face and orange hair is holding a smoking cigarette is on a cream coloured plinth. The figure is wearing a peach-coloured suit with a white polo neck top. Modern Toss

A smoking statue of Gerry, from Modern Toss’s 1970s-themed Cheese & Wine series, also features in the exhibition

The retrospective will also include a Wednesday Morning Work Therapy session, which the organisers said would be “a mixture of whale song and swearing”.

Over 100 pieces of work are featured in the exhibition, including an interactive Periodic Table of Swearing machine, which has had a “classic Scouse insults” section added especially for the Liverpool run.

Link said they had spoken to Liverpool residents while researching this for the first of their “regional swearing ideas”.

“I have designed it so that it merges from red into blue and blue into red for the teams,” said Link, in a nod to the city’s football clubs.

Modern Toss A man wearing a baseball cap and glasses is smiling as he looks through the blue curtain of the photo booth, which has 'the modern toss portrait booth' written on it. There are multiple Modern Toss cartoons pasted inside the booth.Modern Toss

Visitors are being offered the chance to have their portraits created in a photo booth

The work of Modern Toss has featured in a Channel 4 comedy series, as well as in publications including Private Eye and The Guardian and in books, comics and greetings cards.

Link said their work, which also encompasses publishing, sculpture, painting and live performance, is a satirical take on life in the early 21st century.

They use cartoon characters inspired by anything from global economic events to the internal thoughts of a fish on a hook, he added.

The Modern Toss 21st anniversary touring exhibition runs at Northern Lights art studio, Cains Brewery Village, until 10 August.

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