Art
Latte Leninism
- Artists
- Martha Kelsey
Artist Martha Kelsey explores ‘champagne socialism’ in modern Russia, via paintings, prints and drawings.
Inspired by her recent trip to Saint Petersburg, Martha presents a westerner’s snapshot view of Russia’s faded and re-named metropolis. “It is under the pastel veneers of restored palaces and in the memorable aftertaste of vodka that one senses Leningrad, a Soviet city un-made.
“As the centenary of the Bolshevik revolution approaches, these artworks provoke timely comparisons between 1917 and now; you are invited to question the state of democracy today and the importance of British relations to Putin’s Russia.”
Martha has a family connection to Saint Petersburg. The reason for her trip last year was to visit her grandfather, who has been living in Russia since the mid-90s. He first visited Russia, specifically the Saint Petersburg Botanical Institute, in 1963.
Posted there by Kew Gardens, for whom he worked for many years., his letters home provide a unique insight into the country at the height of the Cold War. These records have influenced Martha’s work. She has come to focus on the city at three different dates; 1917, 2017, and 1963.
“Subsequently a secondary theme of this exhibition is Time, and the subjective nature of recollection. Are buildings and streets permeated with memory? Do moments of passion, violence and intrigue leave a lasting mark? Or, as with looking at Art, does the individual see simply that which they wish to find?”
Vestibules, City Hall, Aug 8-11, 10am-7pm daily. Private View Mon 7, 5.30-7pm.
For more info, visit www.subject-action-object.com
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