2021
Abingdon Studios
U
Matthew Dowell
Artist / Researcher
London, UK
www.matthewdowell.com
@matthewjdowell
Title: Putting the U in Union Jack
Medium: Coin, Cusion.
Before being assigned a letter Dowell knew what their starting point would be..10ps. In 2018 the Royal Mint released The Great British Coin Hunt A to Z 10p collection, with 26 individually designed coins, each with a 'quintessentially British subject'. Dowell uses collecting as a tool in their wider practice and wanted to explore the idea that 'Britishness', whatever that means, could be contained in this 2.5cm sized surface.
For RYP the artist was given the letter U and this was given the symbol of the Union Jack in the coin collection. Tarnished by association the Union Jack for Dowell is a symbol used by nationalists with empty political platitudes by a Conservative government more concerned with PR than people. Dowel spent a lot of time locating and absorbing kitsch Union Jack related material and for the exhibition combined selected items with their own slogan.
Matthew Dowell
Artist / Researcher
London, UK
www.matthewdowell.com
@matthewjdowell
Title: Putting the U in Union Jack
Medium: Coin, Cusion.
Before being assigned a letter Dowell knew what their starting point would be..10ps. In 2018 the Royal Mint released The Great British Coin Hunt A to Z 10p collection, with 26 individually designed coins, each with a 'quintessentially British subject'. Dowell uses collecting as a tool in their wider practice and wanted to explore the idea that 'Britishness', whatever that means, could be contained in this 2.5cm sized surface.
For RYP the artist was given the letter U and this was given the symbol of the Union Jack in the coin collection. Tarnished by association the Union Jack for Dowell is a symbol used by nationalists with empty political platitudes by a Conservative government more concerned with PR than people. Dowel spent a lot of time locating and absorbing kitsch Union Jack related material and for the exhibition combined selected items with their own slogan.
