This selection brings together different forms of politically charged art. What connects them is a refusal to separate artistic craft from ideas, politics and the wider world. In an increasingly ‘post-left’, ‘post contemporary’ cultural climate, there is growing impatience with art that feels overly prescribed by globalized jargon, identity politics, institutional fashion or the obligation to deliver an approved political message. These works take a different route. They are direct, materially engaging, rooted in tradition, and unafraid of difficult subjects, while leaving room for ambiguity, humour and individual interpretation.
That spirit has a particularly strong resonance in Sussex. The old Sussex idiom ‘We wunt be druv’ has long expressed the county’s reputation for independence and resistance to being told what to think or do. It also has a radical history, from popular resistance to the county’s distinctive Bonfire traditions. The works that follow share something of that temperament: they are made with conviction, carry ideas without being didactic, and retain the freedom to challenge, provoke and simply refuse to be druv.
Rowena Easton
A powerful point
Marcelle Hanselaar, Child Soldier 2, 2013. Etching with Chine collé, 52x46cm. Variable edition of 30. £950 (framed)
Hanselaar’s child soldier imagery developed from her engagement with Govert Flinck’s 17th-century painting Head of a Negro, a small portrait of a man in civic militia uniform. Intrigued by his turned head, she began exploring themes of vulnerability and exclusion, while also researching the horror of children terrorised into becoming soldiers. The figure’s exposed neck suggested a child, prompting Hanselaar to add a helmet resembling a Mickey Mouse hat. This became the starting point for the series, which explores innocence and the psychological consequences of violence. Hanselaar’s work is held in prestigious collections including the British Museum, the V&A and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. julianpage.co.uk
Two birds in one
Pablo Picasso, The Face of Peace XI, 1950. Giclée print on textured watercolour paper, 42x42cm. £90 (framed)
Picasso created Le Visage de la Paix (The Face of Peace) in 1950 for his collaboration with poet Paul Éluard. Using elegant, continuous single-line drafting he seamlessly integrates a woman’s face with one of today’s most recognisable symbols of world peace. Developed during the heightened anxieties of the post-WW2 era, the work serves as a whimsical yet poignant political statement against conflict (see pg 34). Available from King & McGaw, a Sussex-based art publisher and printer that partners directly with major museums, galleries and artist estates to produce premium, accredited fine art reproductions. kingandmcgaw.com
Pig-headed pottery
Sussex Lustreware, Sussex Pig. Transfer printed text with sponged pink lustre. H 12.5cm, W 18cm, D 4.5cm. £70
This ornamental pig, an animal often associated with spirited independence, proudly bears Sussex’s unofficial motto, asserting Sussexers’ refusal to be told what to do. It is produced by Sussex Lustreware, a contemporary studio pottery that revives the 19th-century Sunderland tradition using eco-friendly earthenware that is slip-cast in Stoke-on-Trent and hand-finished in East Sussex with distinctive pink metallic glazes, verses and folk art motifs. Sussex Pig was made from a mould of a wooden model carved by Peter Chasseaud at the Tom Paine Printing Press. sussexlustreware.co.uk
A radical message
The Tom Paine Printing Press. Extracts from historic political pamphlets. Prices vary
The TPPP in Lewes is a not-for-profit educational organisation and historical hub, founded by Peter Chasseaud in 2009 to mark the bicentenary of the death of radical thinker Thomas Paine. At the heart of the project is a working replica of an 18th-century wooden Common Press, housed opposite Paine’s former home at Bull House. The press recreates an authentic period print room, complete with type cases, cabinets and a compositor’s stone. More than a museum, it is a living history project where hand-crafted posters, cards and pamphlets are printed using traditional methods, alongside demonstrations and letterpress courses by appointment. Local artists and writers can also use the press. tpppl.wordpress.com
Sunflower soles
Chapter 2, Jackdaw Boot. Choice of colours, made-to-order.
£550
Alfriston-based Chapter 2 is a slow-fashion footwear brand, founded by shoe designer Fay Murphy – who has designed for luxury brands like Dries Van Noten and Paul Smith – and her husband, master shoemaker Tom. Wanting to add a special detail to their made-to-order shoes, they were inspired to collaborate with printmaker Rosanna Morris to transform a sole into a quiet act of defiance. The sunflower motif comes from Morris’s print of a clenched fist gripping a sunflower, which symbolises radical optimism and blends solidarity with ecological justice. To Fay and Tom, etching Morris’ flower onto handcrafted footwear becomes a rejection of mass production and hyper-industrial exploitation and grounds their craft in a philosophy of resistance. chapter2store.com