Tony Blair’s epic bomb selfie goes on display at the Imperial War Museum, Manchester
“HOW do artists contribute to our perceptions of war and conflict in an age where our understanding is shaped by the media and the internet?” asks Manchester’s Imperial War Museum.
The exhibition includes work by Steve McQueen, kennardphillipps (below), Langlands & Bell, Miroslaw Balka, Willie Doherty, Paul Seawright, Ori Gersht, Jananne Al Ani and Edmund Clark.
kennardphillipps are Peter Kennard and Cat Picton-Phillipps who have worked together since 2002, initially to make art in response to the invasion of Iraq. Their work is shown in a range of contexts, on line, in galleries and on protest marches. They describe their work as an integral part of political activism, a direct means of communication: ‘the visual arm of protest’. Photo Op, depicting Tony Blair taking a ‘selfie’ in front of a huge explosion, has become an iconic image. It was produced in response to the anger they felt at the Government’s decision to go to war in Iraq in 2003, in the face of widespread public protest. They describe their need to create something that reflected and validated this public opposition, sentiments they felt were not reflected in the mainstream media at the time.
More: IWM North
Posted: 14th, October 2013 | In: Politicians Comment (1) | TrackBack | Permalink
