Quinlan and Hastings: Power and space
6 April 2023
Through the use of drawings, etchings and films, artist duo Hannah Quinlan and Rosie Hastings produce skilled and thought-provoking work that explores the various forms of authority, power and disorder that exist within our public spaces, and questions how social hierarchy, class, order and obedience are negotiated. Take a look at three works on display in their ‘Portraits’ exhibition (until 4 Jun) to learn more.
They will flee like chaff scattered by the wind or like dust whirling before a storm
Quinlan and Hastings often look to archives and art history to interpret the social and political issues that face us today, and are known for mapping the queer landscape and placing underrepresented narratives in the spotlight.
This work was created in 2020 and presented to The Box by the Contemporary Art Society in 2021. It’s a framed diptych (a work made in two parts) inspired by a work dating from c1530 by the influential Italian artist Michelangelo (1475-1564) called Archers Shooting at a Herm.
The graphite drawings show a scene of protest and depicts the tense relationship between states of power and the LGBTQ+ community. With limbs in motion the drawing combines a sense of urgency and rebellious energy with representations of power and masculinity.
We think about art-making within a broader historical context as early practices of art-making were highly communal. Large groups of artisans would work together under the control of a master to produce works. We work like artisans, but we have no master.
Hannah Quinlan and Rosie Hastings
Common Subjects and A History of Morality
Never shown before, these two cartoons were made for frescos presented at Tate Britain in 2022. A cartoon is a full-scale preparatory drawing for a fresco, oil painting or a tapestry. The word comes from the Italian ‘cartone’, which means a large sheet of paper or card. Quinlan & Hastings often work with fresco, a highly specialist and traditional medium closely associated with the Italian Renaissance.
The images depict scenes of exchange, conflict and camaraderie in public spaces such as street corners, suburban roads, parks and public gardens.
We were drawn to ideas such as authority and obedience, questioning the types of authority that exist in public space: legal authority represented by police in uniform, moral authority represented by well-dressed ladies and suited men who observe and perform outrage, and the authority of the street represented by people who live and work on it.
Hannah Quinlan and Rosie Hastings
You can see Hannah Quinlan and Rosie Hastings: Portraits on display until the end of 4 June. Exhibition opening hours are 10am-5pm Tuesday-Sunday and Bank Holidays. Admission is free and there's no need to book.