© Sid White-Jones - ‘Paula Rego: Obedience and Defiance’, MK Gallery (Instillation View).
Yesterday I had the opportunity to visit the newly renovated MK Gallery which re-opened on the 16th March. The newly expanded gallery now boasts five new double height exhibition galleries, a new auditorium on the upper floor which will be used as the first independent cinema for Milton Keynes, a large community and learning studio, a new independent café and shop facing a new garden and a new entrance with a colour scheme that revives the original gallery ‘sandstone and terracotta’ facade of 1999.
© Sid White-Jones - Cut section of ‘War’ (2003) by Paula Rego.
Currently showing is ‘Paula Rego: Obedience and Defiance’, a retrospective showcasing a selection of Rego’s paintings and works on paper (sketches, pastels & etchings) which shift from the ultra-realistic portraits within ’Abortion Series’ (1998) to the more symbolic abstractions seen in pieces such as ‘Centaur’ (1964). Technically astounding and full of social-commentary, both Rego’s representational work and her more abstracted studies reflect her strong opinions on humanity and the social environment.
© Sid White-Jones - Cut section of ‘Untitled, number 4’ (1998) from ‘Abortion Series’.
© Sid White-Jones - Cut section of ‘Tryptic, Centre Panel’ (1998) by Paula Rego from ‘Abortion Series’.
“The selection of works focuses on the moral challenges to humanity, particularly in the face of violence, gender discrimination and political tyranny. There are paintings and etchings related to children sold into slavery in North Africa (1996-98), abortion (1998-2000) and female genital mutilation (from 2009). Many of the images begin with the artist’s Portuguese roots and childhood experiences or respond to current affairs.”
The show showcased such a wide variety of Rego’s working styles and the new MK gallery provided a wonderful platform for viewing such pieces. I would urge anyone in in the area to visit ‘Obedience and Defiance’, but make sure to leaving an hour or so more than anticipated, as there is a lot of work to see.