Disobedient Objects at V&A

Disobedient Objects at the V&A tackles the relationship between art and activism. It seeks to expose how the simplicity in banners, buttons, and all random objects that can be found in the cracks of protests, newspapers and propaganda can tell a thousand and one narratives about human's ability to resist. Whether that be resisting  police brutality, class conflict, ableism or homophobia - The act of defiance is personally crafted in every piece of material hung for display. The exhibition its self is hidden in the corner of the main entrance of the museum,  barely noticeable at first glance, but once you have walked through the entrance, it feels like the entrance to a new world. It is like walking into a microcosmic dystopia; There is rich, booming sounds of marches being played from a projector,  large banners hung carelessly from the ceiling, and various videos playing over one and other, giving you the sensory impression of being among a protest or a march. It is chaotic, but in an extremely charming way.  There were several pieces which struck me both aesthetically and emotionally,  but one in particular that could be developed into a further project was Coral stokes piece which I will further explore below:

''I Wish Your Boyfriend Was As Dirty As Your Policies''  Coral Stoakes, 2011

The object is composed entirely from cardboard, with the exception of a wooden stick to form the basis of the banner. It is painted red, and on original glance, I gathered it could be painted with oil paints, as it has a very washed out look. What initially struck me about this piece was the careless nature of the painting - there isn't much attention to detail to making the paint work look smooth, nor the lettering the same size, and  in my interpretation this could signify the artist's frustrations; or possibly that ''banner making'' is not the usual medium for Coral Stoakes - that this piece is a sheer, raw response. I think there is great power in making art without having to worry about the precision, more thinking about the message, and for that reason this piece really resonated with me. Furthermore, the social identity between the maker and the object also is really fascinating - The piece is described to be in response to the University fees being raised
in 2011. This provides a huge scope for development; The topic of University becoming elitist is one which is becoming more and more prevalent in the UK and internationally, and a theme I would love to explore. Additionally, I find the sexual connection between politics and sex potential theme I would explore.

Another aspect which interests me about this piece is how it engages with the title of the exhibition: ''disobedient objects''.  The notion of being disobidient is extremely complex to me: One one hand, it is failing to obey and carries negatives connotations, but there is additional semantics present that one is defying authority in the name of rebellion, and that is exactly how I think this piece reacts as a 'disobedient object'. The imagery of it being used as a war object, as rebellious weaponry, as comedic relief, all is very exciting.

Bibliography:

Eliçabe, O. (2014). Coral Stoakes, I wish my boyfriend was as dirty as your policies, 2011. [image].