It's one thing to call a politician an asshole, it's another to paint him as such. That is exactly what long-time Toronto fringe scenester Mendelson Joe does in his latest collection. You can certainly judge this book by its vibrant cover: an unmistakable Jean Chretien portrait that Joe paints as a talking rear end (out of the side of the, er, mouth). It's funny, shocking and vulgar, but has a charming innocence about it. These paintings wouldn't be at all out of place as graffiti splashes on Queen St. - which is one of the reasons why the book works.
Twenty bright full-page portraits (16 subjects) on thick glossy stock with accompanying written summaries make up this...