Whilst in Southampton today I took a short detour and escaped the rain inside the John Hansard Gallery, a small, free-to-enter contemporary art museum in the city centre. I was somewhat pressed for time so only had a brief look round, but I was particularly intrigued by the above piece. The Gallery’s current exhibition is focused on ‘[exploring] the practices of women artists, designers and writers of the 1920s and 30s through the work of contemporary artists’ and so, with both this and the work’s title in mind, I thought the striking juxtaposition within the image created a powerful visual representation of the damaging nature of stereotypical gender expectations. But, of course, it’s modern art, so it could be about something else entirely; perhaps the suffocating pressures of Brexit on the candy floss industry? Obviously I’m joking (candy floss is booming!), but it’s certainly a thought-provoking image and I’m not sure what more you could want from a piece of contemporary art. While only a relatively small museum, there were quite a few video installations which I didn’t have the time to sit down and view, so I think a return trip will certainly be in order.
Please Remain Seated 