From Passive to Powerful: ‘Reframing the Muse’ @ The London Art Fair
The 2023 iteration of The London Art Fair is about to start, and with it, the fair’s annual Platform program. Platform is a curated exhibition of works from a wide array of galleries and their artists that follow a singular theme chosen by a guest curator.
Previously, Platform has consisted of themes exploring the intersection of the visual arts and music and the revival of ceramics as a medium. This year’s iteration, titled Reframing the Muse, will look at “Art History’s most enduring subject, the muse.”
Carla Kranendonk, Seyana, 2020. Courtesy of Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery.
Curated by author and art historian Ruth Millington, Reframing the Muse is a physical extension of her critically acclaimed book Muse, which was released in April 2022. In this book, Millington explores how the muse is so much more than the uninvolved subject in an artist’s work as she delves into their forgotten personal histories.
Through her research, Millington found that both mythological and literal muses have long held a position of influence over artists and often heavily contributed to the final artwork. Yet, despite their clear creative and personal influence, Art History largely ignored or downplayed muses.
As a visual representation of these discoveries, Millington hopes that Reframing the Muse will continue to shift the modern view of muses from being a passive force to an important catalyst which bolstered the careers of the “great male artist.”
“Today, our perception of the muse is that of a passive, powerless female model, at the mercy of an influential and older male artist.”
Grayson Perry, Marriage Flag, 2018. Courtesy of RAW Editions.
Millington first discovered the wrongful erasure of muses from Art History whilst researching the background behind the subjects found in famous portraits in the canon. After realising their importance, Millington went to editors with her findings. Confusingly, they asked her to avoid using the term ‘muse’ in favour of ‘art world legend’.
This forced circumvention was the tipping point to continue her work on the term everyone chose to ignore. She quickly wanted answers to questions this avoidance brought up - Why did the use of “muse” cause so much discomfort? Why did Art History often shove these sources of inspiration to the side? Why did it favour celebrating the genius of the artist?
“The feminist in me knew I had to write Muse and reclaim the term for a truer account of Art History to exist.”
Golnaz Afraz, Renaissance, 2022. Courtesy of Gala Fine Art.
Millington started her research with the origin of the term: Greek myth. In ancient mythology and religion, the nine Muses were goddesses revered by artists, poets, and musicians. They were the beings directly responsible for inspiring the works of these creatives, even considered to be the source of their talents. With this, the Muses held power over mortals and were, therefore, constantly invoked by artists to bless their work.
This influence of the muse, Millington found, had continued throughout history. Many muses were artists themselves, bringing creativity to their role and making the notion their own. Some muses even directly affected the artists’ style, altering how they presented their work.
Thus, when presented with the opportunity to curate this year’s Platform, Millington immediately wanted to bring her research to new audiences.
“And so, I realised that this trope of the muse as a passive romantic partner was a myth constructed for the sake of the great male artist.”
The first, and arguably the most important, task was selecting the works that would be included in Reframing the Muse. Millington knew this year’s Platform should concentrate on contemporary artists and their muses to fit the environment of the London Art Fair.
This was no great feat, for Millington already had an idea of which artists and works she wanted to showcase. One such artist was Francesca Currie, whose practice included painting her male muse, Lewis, as a famous reclining female figure in art history.
David Hockney, Reclining Figure, 1975. Courtesy of RAW Editions.
Millington also worked closely with other participating galleries and artists in the fair to determine which works ought to be included in the show. This collaborative process allowed the best representation of the ‘muse’ to be presented to audiences. For example, RAW Editions provided works by artists including Grayson Perry, Peter Doig, and Julian Opie, whose pieces focused on the male-on-male gaze.
Individual artists had an equally important part to play in the curation process of Reframing the Muse. Their contributions provided much-needed context; who would know better how much their muse was a source of influence than the artists themselves? For example, Steve des Landes could supply great insight about his muse for the five works included in the program - his mother. Likewise, artist Hugh Mendes found his inspiration in the deaths of famous artists. Mendes’ series, Obituaries, exemplifies this through a fascination with reducing a person’s whole life to a single column and image.
Hugh Mendes, Obituary: Frida Khalo, 2022.
However, it is not enough to have great works of art; curation also plays a vital role in perpetuating this vision of the muse.
To Millington, audience interaction was a critical factor in determining the layout of the works included, as the viewer plays a role in the muse/artist relationship. How the viewer interacts with the artwork can determine how one perceives the muse's influence. The position of Eve de Haan’s mirror, No Photos Please, at the booth's entrance perfectly demonstrates this interaction. The “no” of the light fixture flickers in and out of existence and causes the viewer to become de Haan’s muse themselves.
Eve de Haan, No Photos Please, 2021.
MADE IN BED is excited to see Reframing the Muse as it celebrates the long-overlooked sources of inspiration for many artists across different disciplines. But, more importantly, it is invigorating and refreshing to see traditional notions of Art History be tested by Millington’s brilliant reclaiming of the word ‘muse’. From passive to powerful, the muse can finally be recognised as a significant contributor to art.
The London Art Fair will be open January 18-23 at the Business Design Centre. For more information on the fair and to purchase tickets, click here.
Special thanks to Ruth Millington for providing MADE IN BED with exclusive insights into the creation of ‘Reframing the Muse’ at The London Art Fair.
Serena Yacoub
Features Co-Editor, MADE IN BED