Description

A new survey of the contribution of Polish-born artists to British visual culture based on Ben Uri’s exhibition of the same title. It is particularly apt as the Polish community approaches its millionth citizen in Britain, making it the nation’s largest migrant group, and as Poland is about to celebrate its centenary as an independent nation state. It narrates the story of the Polish community in Britain and Poland’s recent turbulent history through the lens of art, tracing the complex stories of Polish-born artists – both Jews and non-Jews – who fled successive regimes, were variously persecuted, imprisoned and interned, crossed continents. But it also looks at Polish people born to today’s world, who have come to Britain to study or develop professionally. It brings together a century of artworks and archival material by both celebrated and lesser-known Polish-born artists from the Ben Uri Collection, as well as Polish institutions and private collectors in Britian. Paintings, posters, prints, drawings, cartoons, book illustrations, film and sculpture explore issues of identity and migration, whilst intersecting with formal art historical developments, ranging from expressionism to Pop Art. AUTHOR: Rachel Dickson, Head of Curatorial Services, is co-curator at Ben Uri Gallery and Museum and has curated and published extensively on twentieth-century British artists of Jewish descent, and emigre artists in particular from two successive waves of migration. Dickson edited and contributed to the first UK museum monograph on renowned American contemporary artist, Judy Chicago. SELLING POINTS: . First survey of a century-long contribution of Polish artists in Britain . Tells parallel narratives of Polish Jewish and non-Jewish artists and their respective cultural contributions . Includes contemporary Polish artists currently working in Britain who came for wholly positive reasons . Contributes to current debates around migration and identity . Includes material from private archives and collections 83 colour illustrations