Private Tour at British Art Gallery: William Blake and Yew Locke

Yale Alumni College (YACOL), in partnership with the Yale Center for British Art, invites you to curator-led tours of two of the museum’s current exhibitions. You will be greeted by Timothy Young, Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts and Edward Town, Assistant Curator of Paintings and Sculpture. Timothy will lead you on a private tour of William Blake: Burning Bright and Edward Town will delight you with a private tour of the Hew Locke: Passages exhibition.

About William Blake: Burning Bright:

One of the most compelling figures in the history of British art and poetry, William Blake (1757–1827) developed an idiosyncratic worldview during a tumultuous era that witnessed the American and French Revolutions. He expressed his radical perspectives on religious belief, politics, and society through highly original illuminated books, watercolors, paintings, and poetry. This exhibition showcases the Yale Center for British Art’s impressive collection of works by Blake, with special focus on the inventive hand-printed publications that bring to life his poetry and prophecies.

About Hew Locke: Passages:

For the past thirty years, Guyanese-British artist Hew Locke (b. 1959) has used strategies of appropriation to reveal and upend the visual codes of imperialism. Incorporating multiple media, including sculpture, photography, drawing, and found objects, Locke’s oeuvre has been described as a “postcolonial baroque” that deconstructs and reimagines deeply entrenched iconographies of British sovereignty. This exhibition showcases the full spectrum of Locke’s practice. It brings together distinct bodies of work that examine the historical processes of colonialism through the present-day legacies of global market capitalism, migration, and diaspora. Enjoy this recording from October 9 of Hew Locke speaking with Martina Droth, Paul Mellon Director, YCBA, and curator of the exhibition about his artistic practice, providing insights into his work!

Event Itinerary:

10:00- 10:05AM Greeting by Timothy Young, Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts and Edward Town, Assistant Curator of Paintings and Sculpture

10:10-11:00AM Private tour of William Blake: Burning Bright with Timothy Young

11:05-11:50AM Private tour of Hew Locke: Passages with Edward Town

12:00PM Lunch at Atelier Florian with Edward Town