The Great Refusal: Protesting 1948-84

Small exhibition at the Hayward Gallery looking at the history of the imagery of protest in the late 20th century.

The works come from the Archive of Modern Conflict and looked at the main protest movements and why they happened from the anti-nuclear movement and women’s liberation through to the height of Margaret Thatcher’s term of office. It included posters, magazines, film and leaflets. Some of the 1980’s sections looked a bit like my pin board at University!

I would however argue that the government posters on what to do in the effect of a nuclear attack are not protest works but information works. I could see how they complimented the anti-nuclear items but I didn’t feel they really fit the theme.

It would have helped if I’d spotted the really good leaflet describing all the pieces as I went in because I got a bit confused by the fact everything was numbers but there seemed to be no key! Could I suggest they are put in a more prominent place?

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