The Gregory Allicar Museum of Art is hosting an opportunity for Fort Collins residents to take a trip through the influential artwork of famous Welsh artist Ralph Steadman, an illustrator and long-time collaborator of writer Hunter S. Thompson.

From Aug. 26 to Dec. 13, Colorado State University’s Center for the Arts will house its exhibit “Ralph Steadman: And Another Thing” at the Griffin Foundation Gallery, presenting 149 original pieces of artwork and more.

The exhibit takes attendees through more than 60 years of Ralph Steadman’s work, from his early years as a student to his illustrations of literary classics, children’s books and political and social commentary.

Sadie Williams, Steadman’s daughter, is the co-curator of the exhibit alongside Andrea Lee Harris. Williams noted that over the years, she has grown to appreciate more of her dad’s creativity and spirit in every piece of art he creates.

“Anything that’s worth doing takes little bit of work,” Williams said.

Williams said she enjoyed how the the artwork brought her closer to the little details involved in making, highlighting the human side of producing his pieces.

“When I was little, he’d always have a little notebook in his pocket he would whip out,” Williams said. “We would be in a restaurant and he’d just be sketching or drawing on the tablecloth. … I can see where the sketches and observations have become the final artwork.”

Itzel Bravo, a Fort Collins resident, said she loves coming to the UCA for the different galleries. She said she particularly enjoyed the distorted Polaroid portraits of Steadman and other celebrity figures and how uniquely different they were.

“This has been the one that has really blown my mind in the town of Fort Collins,” Bravo said. “You can see his life journey in the artwork and even his opinion can be seen in the art in a really cool way.”

Gavin Devereaux, a CSU student pursuing a master’s certificate in arts leadership, helped install some aspects of the gallery pieces and labels.

He said he appreciated how this exhibition has drawn a large number of people, saying it was one of the biggest showings at the gallery during its opening.

“It’s nice to be able to dive really deep into one artist and hear and see the different phases of his work and how it developed by going around the room,” Devereaux said.

Williams said her father never liked the word “style” and would rather view his artwork as an evolution of technique. She remembered how he would pour dirty water from his brushes to play with different textures and develop shading through the splashes to create some of his pieces.

“Anything in his hands could be a tool of creativity, whether it was a Polaroid photograph or even the dirty water he would use to wash his brushes out,” Williams said. “It’s just more about seeing the potential for creativity in every single tool (at) your disposal.”

Devereaux said he found himself fixating on the raw energy Steadman captured through his art. Some of his favorite pieces were from his collection “The Big I Am,” which highlighted God’s perspective of the world.

“Instead of idealizing (social and political ideas), he sort of does the opposite by peeling it back a little bit and showing it in maybe an unsettling state,” Devereaux said. “He can take those abstract ideas and make them sort of fearful but enticing. I think that really draws people in this sort of juxtaposition.”

Devereaux said he hopes people who immerse themselves in the gallery will recognize the immense impact one artist can have on the appearance of ideas, even when they are not physically in the space.

“I hope people come in and take some of those issues and ideas and compare it to how we’re interacting today and hopefully use some inspiration for their own work,” Devereaux said.

As Williams was sharing her experience growing up with Steadman as a father, she said she hopes people will see the multiple sides of Steadman through this exhibit, including the underappreciated aspects of his art journey. She ended her artist talk by showing one of the songs he had written.

“There is more to Ralph Steadman than just Gonzo,” Williams said. “There is so much in the digital world now that people don’t get their hands dirty and don’t play with real material, and I hope it may inspire people to give painting or drawing a go.”

“Ralph Steadman: And Another Thing” will be on display until Dec. 13 at the Gregory Allicar Museum of Art.

Reach Sananda Chandy at entertainment@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.