As part of our landmark 75th-anniversary summer series, we're proud to announce a compelling, free-to-attend feature exhibition entitled ‘TASTE’. Running from 9th to 25th July, this intriguing exhibition invites visitors to confront their own biases, attitudes, and definitions of what constitutes "good" and "bad" taste. Curated by Robert Anderson, the collection will be hosted at Chequer House, 12 King Street, King’s Lynn, and is open daily from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.
While ‘Taste’ is a commonly used word, it remains notoriously difficult to define, a fact highlighted by the Oxford English Dictionary's 18 distinct definitions. The exhibition explores how societal standards and perceptions of taste have changed over time, spanning a historical timeline from the Enlightenment to the present day. Visitors will be taken on a journey exploring how 18th-century philosophers David Hume and Immanuel Kant argued theoretically about the subject, while artist William Hogarth characterised it in his paintings and prints.
The diverse material on display is bound to provoke discussion and a wide range of reactions, which organisers expect to range from pure enthusiasm to complete negativity or indifference. For instance, the exhibition explores the Victorian fascination with the subject, showcasing how the 1852 precursor of the Victoria and Albert Museum famously included a ‘Chamber of Horrors’ dedicated to objects of deliberately bad taste. It also contrasts timeless, favoured designs like William Morris and Liberty textiles with the polarising, unapologetic bling surrounding the flamboyant pianist Liberace.
Furthermore, visitors will be challenged to analyse the lines between commercialism, high art, and popular culture. The exhibition displays representations of mass-marketed prints like Tretchikoff’s ‘Green Lady’ and Landseer’s ‘Monarch of the Glen’ alongside controversial cultural moments, such as the controversy that erupted when Millais’ painting ‘Bubbles’ was used to advertise Pears Soap. Modern subversions are also heavily featured, seamlessly placing a contemporary pink MAGA cap in the same conversation as a Banksy painting based on Jack Vettriano’s popular ‘The Singing Butler’.
Ultimately, this anniversary exhibition does not dictate what is right, but explicitly invites visitors to put their own attitudes to the test and make their own judgements. Admission to the ‘TASTE’ exhibition is completely free, making it an accessible, must-visit anchor event of this summer’s 75th-anniversary lineup