Westminster 1973

Editor: This is Feliks Topolski's "Westminster," from an unknown date, part of the Tate Collection. It’s a print, and the figures look almost like caricatures, a bit haunting actually. What can you tell me about its historical context? Curator: Topolski, a Polish émigré, became known for documenting London's social and political scene. Notice how the loose lines and caricature style capture a specific type of postwar British society, almost satirically. How do you think this imagery may have functioned in shaping public perception? Editor: So, it's like he's visually commenting on the elite? Curator: Precisely! He's using the visual to critique the socio-political landscape, questioning the established order through his art. Food for thought, isn’t it? Editor: Definitely changes how I see it. I thought it was just a drawing of people.