Sexism, Censorship, Politics in Manchester
J.M.Waterhouse, Hylas and the Nymphs, 1896
What story does the painting tell?
Relates to the idea of Adam and Eve / Temptation
Sexual desire leads to mans death/ immediate death for Hylas
Why was it this painting?/ why was taking it done classed as artistic?
Removed to ‘Prompt Conversation”
“Remarks that conversation will cease from removal, this obviously untrue as from being removed it has sparked conversation.
“Should museums censor works of art on political grounds?”
Sonia Boyce left a message in place of the artwork
‘passive decorative form’ ‘femme fatale’
Are these still present in pop culture today
Can you leave the paintings on the wall and challenge the meaning in a contemporary way?
If it is displayed in a different way will it still change the meaning
Could you add some critical gallery text
Would the museum let you add critical text to the piece
Tate Modern – Wasn’t going to be possible to organise like a typical museum
’points Of contact between works of art’
If you see updated works in a more contemporarty layout would that give it a Bex context?
The painting is removed as part of a show, and made known, there is a second removal from the Manchester gallery
‘the side board under the painting/ did people ever notice this was gone
Would we call the curators decision to change the Museum without censorship?
Charles-August Mengin, Sappho, 1877
Holding a ‘liar’ small harp this would define her as a poet, as opposed to bones opinion in the guardian
During the performance Boyce invitied transgender performers to react and perform alongside artworks // they look to be mirroring the paintings
Tom Hunter, Resevoir, 2002
Image:: http://www.artnet.com/artists/tom-hunter/reservoir-no-1-EuOX7FqAtebE-98rNMCQNA2
It is a reaction to the nymphs
we read the females on the recreation as ‘less’ naked they are probably wearing clothes under the water
It’s easier to project into the male character in waterhouse
One woman is looking towards the camera/ viewer
is it supposed to be a direct recreation is it nort intended to be a direct recreation
The nudity taken up less space in the photograph
Is it a reservoir or is this taken in the canal, does the title reflect a meaning onto the viewer
Is this work a sexualised narrative
Is the element that the woman are more easy to relate to as they are the ‘same’ figure that you engage with in real life
Also the water and the environment makes it not look too inviting
Less sexual, more as a step into womanhood
The Mona Lisa was stolen. In 1911 the cause of the removal is different, is the effect the same
If not how does it look different?
Want what you cannot have
Christo, wrapped monument to Leonardo, 1970
image:: https://www.artrust.ch/product/wrapped-monument-to-leonardo/?lang=en
Is covering the artwork like removing it from the wall?
Distortion rather than change…
Alexandra Fine Art 