Art Fair Cheshire

The Art of Debate

At Art Fair Cheshire 2021, will be hosting a completely new way of looking at art, with Rebecca Eastment and John Ward.

They’ve been arguing about art at Manchester Art Gallery for a few years, helping visitors to get more enjoyment and understanding of the rich and varied collections and they’ll be bringing their unique style to Art Fair Cheshire and discussing the art on display during the event.

John and Becky began arguing about art back in 2017 during the centenary of Marcel Duchamp’s landmark conceptual piece, ‘Fountain’.

On the face of it, you would be hard pressed to find two more contrasting advocates: he being an unrepentant traditionalist in his late 60s and she, a radical young artist who sees excitement in change. As Manchester Art Gallery volunteer guides, they staged a whole series of extremely well attended debates that somehow took in the Dutch Golden Age, the relative merits of Constable and Turner, the true origins of Impressionism, and the controversies surrounding many contemporary works.

Even the seemingly most straightforward paintings and sculptures would cause John and Becky to disagree with one another, almost to the point of impoliteness.

Underpinning all of their work though, is a deeply shared belief that an entertainingly adversarial approach can help to unlock the power and energy within each artwork.

In this way, they love to bring alive and extend to new audiences, the wonderfully rich and diverse collection that Manchester Art Gallery is so fortunate to have. And this year they’ll be bring this same approach to Art Fair Cheshire. We can’t wait.

Full details: www.theartfair.org.uk