Sudden riches come with in-built dangers and that has always been the case. DAVID WHETSTONE reports on a modern twist on a centuries-old morality tale
THE risks that come with a financial windfall were illustrated in cruel and colourful detail by 18th Century artist William Hogarth. Over the eight paintings comprising A Rake’s Progress, he chronicled the descent of selfish Tom from a position of new-found wealth to madness in a lunatic asylum.
The money Tom inherited on his miserly father’s death is quickly squandered while his pregnant fiancee is abandoned immediately.
A tale told visually back in 1732-3 still holds good today as you will see if you visit the Laing Art Gallery where artist Barnaby Barford has given it a contemporary spin.
Instead of paintings, The Big Win: A Modern Morality Tale consists of a series of six 3D tableaux in ceramics with existing objects and figurines tweaked and altered to tell a sobering riches-to-rags story.
The first tableau shows Barnaby’s modern rake lounging in front of the telly while his heavily pregnant girlfriend hovers nearby, consternation etched on her face.
“He’s a layabout,” says the artist. “He’s got no job and his girlfriend is standing there with a bundle of final demand bills and he doesn’t seem to care. He’s lying there watching the football.
“All the magazines on the floor have Cheryl Cole on the cover and there are pictures of the Beckhams cut from adverts.
“It’s the idea that he’s desperate to lead a celebrity lifestyle with all the material trappings but without wanting to do anything to earn it.”
Rather gleefully Barnaby points out the glut of North East references beneath the Perspex cover. As well as Cheryl on the celebrity glossies, there’s a picture of Alan Shearer on the wall and the TV is frozen to show Joey Barton, recently departed Newcastle United bad boy, tussling with Arsenal player Gervinho, shortly before the latter was sent off at St James’ Park.
“My inspiration comes from popular culture which is the culture of our society,” says Barnaby. “I’m not here just saying it’s wrong or to cast aspersions. I’m laying it out in front of people for them to react to.”
In the second tableau we see that the drunken layabout has won the lottery and has suddenly been plunged into a world of wealth. The pregnant girlfriend is nowhere to be seen.
Thereafter we witness the results of his self-indulgence as he develops a taste for luxury brand names and lording it as Mr Big in a casino full of glamorous hangers-on.