Pietà (first version) 1996

Editor: So, this is Angus Fairhurst's "Pietà (first version)". It's a photograph. The juxtaposition of the figure in the gorilla suit holding a human feels both tender and… well, slightly absurd. What do you make of that combination? Curator: Absurdity is key! Fairhurst's work often plays with expectations. Think of the Renaissance Pietà – Mary cradling Jesus. Now, imagine that with a gorilla. Is it mocking sentimentality? Perhaps. Or maybe suggesting even primal figures grieve. What do those strange patches on the figure's torso suggest to you? Editor: I hadn’t even noticed them at first; now they’re all I see. The Pietà is a potent image, but this photo feels strangely flat, too. Curator: Absolutely, and that tension, that space in between, is pure Fairhurst. It's about disrupting narratives and embracing the unexpected. It's funny and quite moving. Editor: I agree! It really reframes the classic image and offers us something new to consider.