One of our newest clients, the Courtauld Institute of Art, has started a lively online debate in a recent commentary piece for the Guardian. The debate is centred on how the visual arts contributes to our greater understanding of social issues. The Courtauld Gallery’s upcoming exhibit of Walter Sickert’s nudes reveals and challenges the way in which prostitutes were perceived in British society at the time. How does an artist like Sickert compare to other forms of visual arts, such as Billie Piper’s new television programme The Secret Life of a Call Girl, for instance?
The debate allows us to determine where the true value of the visual arts comes from. The commentary from Director Deborah Swallow can be read here.