Medals of DishonourPhilip Attwood, Felicity Powell, British Museum The first 23 medals in Medals of Dishonour create a fascinating commentary on events and issues of the 16th-20th centuries, and include Dutch medals satirizing kings; German and British medals on financial scandal and political corruption; a French medal showing a future emperor as an insect; German medals of the First World War period lambasting war; and two 1939 American medals protesting against racism and capitalism. The second part of the book focuses on medals recently commissioned by the British Art Medal Trust from 16 celebrated contemporary artists. Their brief was to tackle the global issues of our time. Jake and Dinos Chapman graphically expose the banality of war, while the allied invasion of Iraq in 2003 is addressed in differing but equally powerful ways by Steve Bell, Richard Hamilton, Yun-Fei Ji and Cornelia Parker. Geo-politics, oppression and the abuse of power are the subjects of medals by Mona Hatoum, Ilya and Emilia Kabakov, William Kentridge and Langlands and Bell. Ellen Gallagher confronts the horrors of racial exploitation, Michael Landy turns anti-social behaviour on its head, and Grayson Perry mocks western consumerism. In the final medal, Felicity Powell pours scorn on the responses of public figures to environmental issues. With over 170 illustrations, including details and accompanying drawings as well as the actual medals themselves, Medals of Dishonour provides an intriguing exploration into a darker tradition of medal-making. |
What people are saying - Write a review
We haven't found any reviews in the usual places.
Common terms and phrases
appear Art Medal Trust ASBO attack Bindman Britain British Art Medal British Museum Cambronne cartoon Cast bronze celebrate century Chora Christian Wermuth Coalition Medal coins contemporary contrast Cornelia Parker Cromwell Dalton and Hamer David Smith DEAN MARTIN devil Dutch medal Edition Ellen Gallagher enemy engraved etching exhibition Felicien Rops Felicity Powell figure first France Frankenhuis French German medals Grayson Perry Hawkins honour Hungarian Soviet Republic imagery inscription Iraq issues James Jones king Langlands and Bell legend Lewison Loewental London Loon Louis XIV Marcel Marcel Duchamp medal cat Medal of Dishonour Medals for Dishonor Mona Hatoum Napoleon obverse official overleaf Peterloo Peterloo massacre Philip Attwood political pope portrait present medal Protestants reverse Richard Hamilton Rops satirical medals satirical prints sculpture side Stephens and George Steve Bell Struck pewter Struck silver suggest tion tradition treaty viewer whilst William Kentridge Wisotzki Wohlfahrt 1992 words
Bibliographic information
| Title | Medals of Dishonour |
| Editors | Philip Attwood, Felicity Powell, British Museum |
| Edition | illustrated |
| Publisher | British Museum Press, 2009 |
| Original from | the University of Michigan |
| Digitized | Jul 19, 2011 |
| ISBN | 0714118168, 9780714118161 |
| Length | 136 pages |
| Subjects | › Antiques & Collectibles / Coins, Currency & Medals Crafts & Hobbies / Models |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |