Visual Art

Visual Arts

"What do you think an artist is? He’s a political being, constantly alive to heartrending, fiery, or happy events, to which he responds in every way. No, painting is not done to decorate apartments. It is an instrument of war, for attack and defense against the enemy."

Pablo Picasso

Wednesday, 31 August 2016 14:00

'Increasingly more political': the art of Cornelia Parker

Written by Phil Brett

in Visual Arts

Phil Brett introduces the art of Cornelia Parker. I was only vaguely familiar with the artist Cornelia Parker, when in 1998, Steve, a good friend of mine, suggested that we visit the London Serpentine Gallery for an exhibition of hers. At the time, I wasn’t in…

A picket mounted by the Women's Peace Camp at Greenham Common, 1982.

Monday, 01 August 2016 16:06

The persistence of protest: the preventative photography of Edward Barber

Written by Mike Quille

in Visual Arts

A woman sits on a fold-up chair, with a sign – 'Hello, can you stop for a talk?' – inviting passersby to stop for a chat about nuclear proliferation. An elderly woman stands on her own with a sign 'No to nuclear war' round her neck. A sandalled foot sticks…

Edward barber Greenham Common CND

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Thursday, 02 June 2016 09:45

Unknown Knowledge: Richard Hamilton's Last Works

in Visual Arts

Written by Marc James Leger

Marc James Léger follows up his last article with an essay on the British artist and self-defined communist, Richard Hamilton. Léger continues his quest for a renewal of emancipatory politics on the left through a critique of discourse theory. Introduction In March 2016 I published Ecce Homo! Occupy God? in Culture Matters,…

cultural theory foucault lacan richard hamilton

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Wednesday, 01 June 2016 10:34

Free all political prisoners

in Visual Arts

Written by Mina Boromand & Chris Bird

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Monday, 23 May 2016 09:43

Cultural beheading: art from Syrian refugees

in Visual Arts

Written by Amir Darwish

Since the start of war in Syria, politics has taken over discussion whenever the country’s name is mentioned. However, the Hikayetna project concentrates on the human side of the issue, focusing on the refugee crisis and victims' experiences and journeys to escape the conflict. This is an apolitical and independent…

Syria refugees

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Tuesday, 17 May 2016 20:56

Journal review: Stalin - what does the name stand for?

in Visual Arts

Written by Andrew Warburton

Andrew Warburton reviews the Spring issue of the Marxist journal Crisis and Critique, which focuses on art, music and culture in the Soviet Union under Stalin. One sign of the enormity of Joseph Stalin’s influence on the international labour movement throughout the twentieth century is that intellectuals on the left…

crisis and critique stalin groys lih prokofiev

Saturday, 14 May 2016 21:55

A protest against injustice: the art of Mona Hatoum

Written by Christine Lindey

in Visual Arts

Christine Lindey reviews an exhibiton by Mona Hatoum at Tate Modern, London. Mona Hatoum manages the rare feat of creating art about politics and the human condition without dry didacticism, but with barbed wit, elegance and subtlety. And has done so for over four decades. Born in Beirut in 1952…

Mona Hatoum tate modern

Monday, 04 April 2016 20:05

A focus on political commitment: the photography of Paul Strand

Written by John Green

in Visual Arts

John Green reviews a new exhibition about the great American photographer Paul Strand, pointing to the 'mute, empathetic, visual rapport' that Strand achieves in his images. The socialist photographer Paul Strand (1890-1976) has long been neglected, although during his lifetime he was very influential on many budding photographers and other…

photography

Monday, 14 March 2016 20:32

Walking on eggshells

Written by Anon

in Visual Arts

Walking on Eggshells - Anon, HMYOI Low Newton (female offenders). From the 2016 Koestler Award scheme for art made in prisons and secure hospitals.

prison art

Monday, 14 March 2016 20:24

Because them's the rules

Written by Anon

in Visual Arts

'As part of a drawing project I had to draw a view from a window. Security allowed me to do this but I was not allowed to draw the wall. I decided to replace it with the lines to the outline of the wall, following the rules, but still getting…