tale to tale

Walthamstow’s William Morris Gallery, presents the Radical Landscapes exhibition which showcases artist’s relationships to the landscapes that surround them.

Above: Chris Killip’s photoraphs on Lynemouth beach

It aims to present how landscape art can ‘enable self-expression yet also impose social constructs’. The latter is highlighted in BBC’s John Berger Ways of Seeing (1972) that theorises that art like Thomas Gainsborough’s Mr and Mrs Andrews (1750) – where the landowners foreground the landscape – explores ‘expressions of power and wealth’, Berger observes “theirs is private land”.

A still image from the BBC’s ‘Ways of Seeing’, specifically showing Thomas Gainsborough’s ‘Mr and Mrs Andrews’.

Artists like Derek Jarman show a deep connection with personal land through The Garden; a collection of home movies and photographs.

Hurvin Anderson’s “seemingly abstract” painting Double Grille presents the artist’s ‘dislocation’ by referencing the security grilles found around properties in Jamaica.

Double Grille by Hurvin Anderson

And Chris Killip explores the area of Lynemouth Beach in their collection of photographs of this exclusive territory.

The exhibition’s statement reflects that ‘considering these artists’ relationships to the rural landscape over different times and regions offers a productive set of contradictions to explore’ which is evident from the mixture of art styles.

Turner’s The Lake, Petworth, Sunset; Sample Study (c.1827) shows the expanse of the British countryside, whereas Jeremy Deller’s piece (A303) Built By Immigrants, a road sign – offers an industrial and ‘demonised’ environment.

Jeremy Deller’s piece, (A303) Built By Immigrants

Attendees can also watch two short films In The Area (1990-1993) by Sara Sender following the antics of the Spiral Tribe and The Private View by Wilma Johnson about neo naturists of 1980s Britain.

Both pieces alongside Abel Holsborough’s portraits of residents of Walthamstow (in Small Things Are Possible) lay true to the exhibition’s mission by showing us that ‘These artists are engaging in artistic strategies as a way to make their own claims on how to define themselves’.

This free exhibition ran from the 23rd October and finished on the 18th February.

This article was written for an assignment I made for the London School of Journalism, I chose this exhibition as who doesn’t love a landscape?

Plus, the opportunity to see works by Turner or Gainsborough is never one to miss.

I’ve not written a report like this before, and nor have I ever edited something down to a word count since I left high school. The results of editing the report down to a fine toothcomb ended up better than I expected – the report flows quicker and I get to my points a lot quicker.

I’ll continue this journey for the next year, before settling in to what kind of articles I’d like to write.