Keith Piper and Rex Whistler

Clever installation at Tate Britain combining the old restaurant murals by Rex Whistler with a video commenting on them by Keith Piper.

The murals have presented the gallery with some problems as they include some difficult images particularly stereotypical depictions of people of colour.

The video, which is shown in the old restaurant space with the mural, presents an imagined conversation between Rex Whistler and a fictional modern academic in which Whistler describes the context of the painting and she challenges him on the images.

It places the work within the context of the upper class Arcadian thinking of the time and introduces you to Whistler’s friends who appear in the mural. However it also points out that the offensive imagery was not a one off in his work.

I found the discussion more nuanced than I expected and engaging with well-developed characters and arguments. Given the room was dark to show the video, it would have been nice if the room could be illuminated between showings so you could actually see the mural. Much as it is difficult, it was a seminal work in Whistlers career and deserves to be more than a ghostly presence. It would also help the argument to be able to see the original.

No end date

Review

Telegraph


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