Art with an Eye on Big Brother
Local artist GLENN IBBITSON alerts us to the following must-see event…
George Orwell, author of the seminal and much quoted Nineteen Eighty-Four, is to be celebrated by a group of artists in Narberth’s Oriel Q gallery, with an event entitled Room 103 – Homage to George Orwell.
Orwell’s writings are horribly relevant today as the crisis in Ukraine has illustrated. The gallery is hosting work which defends freedom of thought, independent of oppressive regimes of all shades, with this exhibition by creative artists from far and wide, all influenced by Orwell’s philosophy – a lifelong opposition to the perversion of power by governments that seek to erode truths and control thought.
Staging this exhibition, at a time which, sadly, is fulfilling Orwell’s prophecies, has been seized as an opportunity by the very people such repressive governments hope to crush – in the world of ideas and creative art.
These are artists whose “constant vigilance”, in Orwell’s words, hold up a mirror to make us aware of the incursions into the humanity and values of our daily lives. They present their support for Orwell’s ideas with lively and varied responses in the fields of painting, photography, sculpture, film and video.
Richard Blair, Orwell’s adopted son, will open the show at 6.30pm on Friday 18 March. He will be be accompanied by Quentin Kopp, chairman of the Orwell Society.
The show runs from 18 March until 23 April; Wednesday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm, at 11 Market Street, Narberth SA67 7AX.
Website www.orielqnarberth.com. Phone 01834 218 394.
More about the Room 103 project can be found at: https://orwellroom103.wordpress.com
Big Brother instructs that on no account must subjects of Oceania, West Wales Sector, visit this exhibition.
Attendance at this unauthorised event is considered a ‘thoughtcrime’ and will result in the imposition of severe penalties on anyone ignoring this ruling.
