Re: Jacqueline Morreau Mythologies and the Marginalised

About

Morreau’s works are dark and intricate, drawing from mythology in order to expose both the ancient and the contemporary myths that haunt the female body. Morreau’s figures are beautiful but often conflicted, shown working in impossible ways in order to bear the weight of the numerous roles imposed upon women; the Fates are seen worn, straining to continue their relentless labour; the woman-mother-artist is shown being torn in two, reproducing through binary fission in order to cope as her ‘Divided Self’. This sense of hybridity runs throughout the work, as Morreau continues to demonstrate the flux between male and female, 

angel and demon, agony and ecstasy. In other works, her ability to depict the nuances of these complex states need not be so delicate; the Children’s Crusade triptych is a blatant and damning display of the horrors of war. Despite her traditional techniques (charcoal drawing and oil painting), Morreau’s work is radical in its critique of the practices of history and in its engagement with notions of contemporary feminism and post-gendered thought.

The themes addressed in Morreau's own work are still ever-pressing today for artists and practitioners marginalised by their gender, race or sexuality. How much has changed since the Feminist Art Movement of the 1970s; and how much really hasn't? And what issues were never addressed by the movement in the first place? The series of talks, workshops, and performances taking place throughout the exhibition aim to establish a relationship between Morreau's practice and the those of contemporary artists, academics, and activists, who are invited to react to and discuss the work in the exhibition in relation to their own practice. These events will be held to not only highlight the impact of Morreau’s work, but also create opportunities for other artists to directly engage with the issues highlighted in the work.

Morreau contributed to numerous women’s initiatives throughout her career. Upon moving to London from the U.S. in 1972, Morreau was quick to become an active member of the Woman’s Art Alliance. Along with Catherine Elwes, Joyce Agee, and Pat Whiteread, she organised the Women’s Images of Men and About Time shows, which first exhibited at the ICA in 1980 and proceeded to tour across the UK. Morreau was also an educator, teaching at various art schools across London and the UK, including the Royal College of Art. Her work is in various private and public collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum and the British Museum.[1]

[1] Elwes, C. ‘Jacqueline Morreau Obituary’ in The Guardian. 17 August 2016. Web. Accessed: 16 July 2017. <https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/aug/17/jacqueline-morreau-obituary> 

Saturday 2nd: 6-8pm

Private View

Thursday 7th: 6-8pm

First Thursdays Late Opening

Panel Discussion: Histories Herstories

Arvhiving and historicising the experiences and work of people outside of the canon

Saturday 9th: 2-6pm

Artist Response: New practices in Feminism & the body

(Performances)

&

Panel Discussion: Safety in Numbers

How working collectively can combat the marginalisation of artists

Sunday 10th: 2-4pm

Artist Response: New practices in Feminism & the body

(Film Screening)

Thursday 14th: 6-8pm

Life Drawing workshop with Andrea Morreau

Saturday 16th: 12-4pm

Zine Fair:

Feminst, POC & Trans zine collectives

Tea &Chat with the Feminist Library: Zine culture and self-publishing as a way of circulating marginalised narratives

Thursday 21st September: 6-8pm

Life Drawing workshop with Andrea Morreau