Academic Writing 1: Tate Modern - Review

Energy and Process: Homeworkers

Tate Modern

Level 4

Free

Fig. 1 The Pikes by Annette Messager. Examples to show artwork. (Authors own, 2013)

Fig. 2 Hate and Power Can be a Terrible Thing by Tracey Emin. Examples to show artwork. (Authors own, 2013) 

Fig. 3 Homeworkers by Margret Harrison. Examples to show artwork. (Authors own, 2013)

Homeworkers is an exhibition where the work is based around materials 'traditionally associated with feminine craft and domestic work' Ravaglia, 2013, http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks?rid=8920&ws=date&wv=grid is currently being displayed at the Tate Modern. The exhibition contains work from Margret Harris, Tracey Emin and Annette Messager which have been made over four decades all using textiles and narrating women’s identifies as housekeepers, family carers, makers and workers.

When first walking into the Homeworkers exhibition the work displayed appears to be light hearted feminine work but when the viewer takes a look at each piece in more detail you are struck with the realisation that there is a dark story behind each of these art pieces. Margret Harrison’s mixed media piece, Homeworkers, 1977 covers advocated actions and strong political discourse in the means of fighting for workers and women’s rights. Tracey Emin’s textile piece, Hate and Power Can be a Terrible Thing, 2004 is a tapestry quilt that has had slogans such as ‘You Cruel Heartless Bitch’ and ‘Rot in Hell’ stitched onto it. Emin has also stitched inscribed patches her handwriting referring to stories from the Falkland war. 

 Fig. 4 & 5 The Pikes by Annette Messager. Examples to show detail. (Authors own, 2013)

The biggest art piece in the exhibition is Annette Messager’s piece The Pikes, 1992-3. The installation is of several soft figures and small drawings mounted up on steel rods. Initially these soft figures appear to be makeshift toys and playful pastel drawings but on closer inspection a darker nature is revealed. At first makeshift toys transform into severed heads and limbs and the pastel drawings mutate into images of traumatic events from history and the mass media. Influenced by Surrealism and the Fluxus movement, Messager’s work explores the power in relationship between male and female, nature and culture and vulnerability and aggression. The drawings emotion is really displayed through the texture of the image. Messager manages to capture every traumatic events through hard lines, block colours and grainy texture through her drawing materials.

I personally found Homeworkers exhibition an eye opening view on women’s identities and views during the last couple of decades through the skill of female associated craft. If you are interested in a mixture of textile based work and feminism I would recommend visiting this exhibition.

Shantelle Hyslop
2013

Valentina Ravaglia (2013) Homewrokers (Room 8). [online] London, The Schmidheiny Gallery. Available at http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks?rid=8920&ws=date&wv=grid (Accessed 04/10/2013