Gerald Scarfe is a very successful satirical illustrator who is best known for his illustrations of Margaret thatcher. Scarfe worked for The Sunday times and through this platform was able to reach a large audience on a regular basis. Working in this way Scarfe was able to build up a relationship with his audience and alter peoples perception of Margaret Thatcher. I think that his work being part of a large audiences daily routine on a regular basis allowed him to slowly alter perceptions bit by bit.
Scarfe portrayed Thatcher as a range of objects and animals but kept a common theme, he depicted her as sharp and aggressive. These qualities were commonly agreed on by both her supporters and opposition. I think maintaining these commonly held views meant his work maintained a universally agreed credibility. It was clear from his illustrations that he was no fan of Thatcher but even in his harshest illustrations he maintained a level of respect for her through his choice of character trait.
Her strength of character helped scarfe produce his illustrations, he said "she had a very definite personality and that really does help a cartoonist or caricaturist to make something of". he also said "she had a character that came through – I could always draw her as aggressive or cutting or biting."
The satirist relies on the subject of their work for material as it is a reaction to them. An illustrator needs an interesting subject to work from.
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