LIVES LESS
ORDINARY
Bert Hardy, Children of the Gorbals, Gorbal Boys, 1948. The estate of Bert Hardy. The Hyman Collection, Courtesy Centre for British Photography
WHAT? Lives Less Ordinary: Working-Class Britain Re-seen
WHERE? Two Temple Place, London WC2R 3BD
WHEN? Now until 20th April. Free to view
WHY GO? To shake up the status quo. Ironic as it seems, one of London’s most opulent houses, built by one of the richest men in history, is highlighting one of the poorest sectors of social history, the working class artist.
From painting and photography to sculpture and film, this new exhibition is a who’s who of artists, who have either been born ‘working class’ or majored on depicting the lower echelons of society as they see it.
The ‘working class’ stereotype has frequently been portrayed as derogatory by snootier elements of the professional art world.
This cleverly curated exhibition argues that in the past it was tough to break through the barrier but poses the question, is it still so in our age of diversity?
This free exhibition strives to redress the balance, portraying work from a broad range of artists past and present, including notable names like Beryl Cook and Eric Tucker, who was dubbed a poor man’s Lowry.
On loan from galleries and museums up and down the country and from private artists archives, it’s especially poignant to see humble works of art displayed within the splendour of Two Temple Place where back in 1895, even humbler working class artisans laboured to create the glorious stained glass windows in William Waldorf Astor’s grand London home.
IN THE KNOW For a feel-good saga, labourer Eric Tucker, who left school at 14, painted all his life for pleasure and without recognition.
He is remembered as an eccentric uncle by script writer Joe Tucker who has just written a touching account of his life. It’s a tender tribute to a working class man who never craved fame and simply enjoyed depicting life in his local community.