The Art Of Politics: 'Thatcheristic' Exhibition Opens On Day Of Funeral (PICTURES)
Controversial Thatcher Exhibition Opens On Day Of Funeral
Matthew Tucker— The Huffington Post UK
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An art gallery in London has channelled the divided views over Margaret Thatcher by opening an exhibition on the day of her funeral.
Thatcheristic, curated by Art Below at Gallery Different, features ten artists' depictions of ‘The Iron Lady’ and is open to the public for ten days, tying in with the Downing Street ‘No. 10’ theme.
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‘In Your Dreams’ by Ben Moore, 2013, featured at Thatcheristic
An angelic Thatcher surrounded by cherubs, the late Leader imagined as Queen Victoria ruling her Empire and a rusty jowled portrait - all artistic depictions of the late Prime Minister seen at Thatcheristic.
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‘On Earth as it is in Heaven’ by Ben Moore, 2013, featured at Thatcheristic
Selected works from the exhibition are also due to feature at Westminster tube station from the 22nd April, including a large pixellated close-up of Thatcher’s tearful eye whilst leaving Downing Street for the last time, by Saatchi New Sensations Winner Jonny Briggs.
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‘Maggie Regina’ by Peter Kennard, 1990, from the Tate collection featured at Thatcheristic
Art Below Director Ben Moore said: “All the artists in the show have one thing in common, we all grew up as Thatcher’s children
“Some of the artists, like Peter Kennard, whose depiction of Thatcher is in the Tate Collection, already have their art in the public eye, however some artists are creating work especially for the show, like Carne Griffiths and Matt Small."
'Thatcheristic' Exhibition At Different Art Gallery
THOM EARLE (01 of11)
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‘Milky Lady’ 2013. Lambda A2 Framed Print. Signed Edition of 10. £87.Influenced by mundanity of the modern world and the death of Maggie Thatcher Thom fused the two together. Using found images and text in a way many newspaper do. Thom fused an image of Margaret Thatcher with text influenced by her nickname The Milk Snatcher.
HARRY PYE & GORDON BESWICK(02 of11)
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‘Great Britain is Great Again ’, 2013. Acyrlic on canvas 32 by 40 inches. £3,000
JONNY BRIGGS(03 of11)
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‘Pixellated close-up of Margaret Thatcher’s tearful eye whilst leaving Downing Street for the last time.’ 2013. To be featured as an underground poster at Westminster Station from 22nd April for 2 weeks.
"There have been passionate comments passing back and forth about Margaret Thatcher, from those who loved and those who hated her, yet more than a politician she was a human being, and like all of us she had insecurities. She has been infamously described as ‘The Iron Lady’, as lacking in emotion, yet this is an image that’s a portal in to a more fragile side of her that was rarely seen, and one that I feel we can all relate to, regardless of our political stance." - Jonny Briggs
SARAH MAPLE(04 of11)
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‘Who the hell is Margaret Thatcher’, 2013. Lambda A2 Framed Print. Signed Edition of 10. £200.nfluenced by the kids on Twitter who had no idea who Margaret Thatcher was.
SIMON MOORE (05 of11)
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Featured ‘Maggie Blair’ at Kennington Station in 2007. Underground Tube poster 1 meter x 1.5 meter. £200.
SIMON MOORE (06 of11)
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Featured ‘Maggie Blair’ at Kennington Station in 2007. Underground Tube poster 1 meter x 1.5 meter. £200.
CARNE GRIFFITHS(07 of11)
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‘Shattered’ 2013. £1,800. Graphite Ink and Tea on 535gsm Bockingford watercolour paper and framed with UV protective glass.
PETER KENNARD(08 of11)
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‘Maggie Regina’ 1990. Photomontage,1983,Tate collection.Signed Framed edition of 3: £1,500.This is a visual commentary on Maggie’s statement that ‘we should all return to Victorian Values’, and symbolic of Maggie taking on a regal stance. It was featured in Time Magazine and it was rumoured that Thatcher herself was quite keen on the artwork.
BEN MOORE(09 of11)
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‘On Earth as it is in Heaven’ 2013. 12 x 16 inch printed canvasFramed Signed Edition of 3. £1,989.
" ‘On Earth as it is in Heaven‘ depicts Maggie as a powerful angel as if the power that she once had on earth has been transferred into the kingdom of the after life. It is a visual reaction to all the hellish and hateful images surrounding Thatcher at this time and by being supportive and loving towards her is ironically the most controversial act of all." - Ben Moore.
BEN MOORE(10 of11)
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‘In Your Dreams’ 2013. 12 x 16 inch printed canvas. Framed Signed Edition of 3. £1,989
"There are a few different messages going on here. There is the obvious political message of the conflict between the two parties with Maggie in the middle ‘breaking it up’ as it is often said that Maggie’s greatest legacy was ‘New Labour’. But Moore is also interested in exploring ideas about the after life. We see Maggie not as an old woman but with an attractive and powerful femininity suggesting that in the afterlife our physical power and beauty is replenished." - Ben Moore
PAUL TECKLENBERG(11 of11)
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‘Irony’, 1990. 16 x 23 cm each - screen print on steel : £600 per tile.
"The image connected is from a work I made in 1990 of Margaret Thatcher leaving No 10. I was born in Corby which suffered heavily when the steel works was closed down in 1981. The work was made to mark the ten anniversary and Thatcher leaving power. Hence her image is screen printed onto steel and left to rust." - Paul Tecklenberg
The divide in opinion about Margaret Thatcher has also been seen in graffiti painting in the 'Graffiti Tunnel' Leake Street, also known as the "Banksy Tunnel" in London, that reads "Burn in Hell Maggie".
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The graffiti was later painted over by British Rail as it was deemed to cause offence, which is against their guidelines for the graffiti on Leake Street.
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Another artist using their work to make a political point is Nathan Wyburn who created a portrait of Thatcher using coal; a reference to her actions towards the miners in the 1980's.
Wyburn said: "I've created a portrait of Baroness Margaret Thatcher, using crushed coal powder and solid coal.
"Whether you loved or loathed her, her actions towards the mining industries is one of her most famous and controversial legacies, that still splits the opinion of a nation."
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See Wyburn's time-lapse video of his portrait:
Flick through other art inspired by Margaret Thatcher:
Thatcher-Inspired Art
(01 of12)
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A piece of toast with a portrait of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher sits on display during the Marmart exhibition at the Air Gallery on October 23, 2006 in London, England. Artist Dermot Flynn has produced a series of portraits using toasted bread and Marmite. Visitors are also encouraged to to use toast as a canvas and create their own works at the gallery. Marmite is a British savoury spread made from yeast extract, traditionally eaten as a spread on bread, toast, and savoury biscuits. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
(02 of12)
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Light reflects of the artist Dylan Hammond's tin-plate portrait of Margaret Thatcher that has been unveiled in the Welsh assembly on May 21 2008 in Cardiff. The portrait, part of an art installation that will sit alongside one of Labour and Socialist figure Aneurin Bevan for three months, has caused controversy in the Welsh capital where Margaret Thatcher remains, in some eyes, a unpopular political figure. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
(03 of12)
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'The Art of Giving' preview, presented by I Want One Of Those, showcasing the latest innovative Christmas gifts, Blink Gallery, London, Britain, 17 September 2008. Margaret T Nutcracker - a Margaret Thatcher nutcracker. (credit:Rex)
(04 of12)
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Former Conservative Prime Minister Baroness Margaret Thatcher sits beside her portrait at the National Portrait Gallery in London, where The Queen opened the new wing of the Gallery. (credit:PA)
(05 of12)
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Tony Banks MP, Chairman of the Commons Works of Art Committee, stands next to the statue of Lady Thatcher, Sculpted by Neil Simmons at his studio in south east London, that has been commissioned by the Committee to be eventually erected in the House. * The statue which is slightly larger than life size, was carved in white Carrara marble and is due to be moved to the House of Commons after the former Prime Minister has passed away.
(06 of12)
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Artist Vanessa sells button badges of a naked Margaret Thatcher. (credit:Rex)
(07 of12)
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Margaret Thatcher and sculpture, June 1975.
(08 of12)
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Former premier Baroness Thatcher poses with a new portrait unveiled in London today (Thursday). The portrait, commissioned by the University of Buckingham, was painted by James Gillick, the 26 year old son of morality issues commentator Victoria Gillick. See PA story ART Thatcher. Photo by Michael Stephens/PA
(09 of12)
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Artist Richard Stone with Margaret Thatcher Painting at His Colchester Studio. The Thatcher painting which will hang in Downing Street from 23rd February 2009. (credit:Rex)
(10 of12)
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A portrait of Margaret Thatcher by artist Richard Stone, unveiled in the Reagan Museum, 2006. (credit:Stewart Cook / Rex Features)
(11 of12)
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'Maggie', installation by Lisa Barnard, London Art Fair, Business Design Centre, Islington, London, Britain, 18 January 2011. (credit:Rex)