INTERFACE

REVIEW

Review of ‘The Darker Side’ by Artist Hayley Boba

Bluecoat Close, Nottingham
29 October 2009

Reviewed by: Christopher Megginson »

The dark and cramped confines of an inner city garage are perhaps exactly where you would expect to find rodents, and the location for this installation is no exception. As you enter through the garage door to see a solitary glow in the corner, a warm beacon of light in this world of dark, however this feeling of warmth doesn’t last long, as your attention is drawn to the dozens of looming shadows of giant rats cast across the walls. The effect is quite a startling one, as the initially warm glow of the candle seems to transform to be merely an eerie flicker, causing the shapes of the rats to dance across the walls. Despite your knowledge that surely the artist would not have invited you into a vermin infested space, you begin to look around the room fairly frantically for any signs, and then you see a picture upon the wall. Upon first inspection, this is a picture of an unimportant smiling man, and it isn’t clear what significance he has and why he has flickering images of rats cast upon him, but it soon becomes clear when you realise it is a photo of one Paul Duffen; the ex-chairman of Hull City Football Club. It dawns that the artist had indeed led you into a room which was infested with another rat, and he is that rat. The title is significant too, as she is drawing attention to the darker side of Duffen behind the smiling facade and warm glow seen initially. The artist is casting aspersions upon the character of this man by shining images of rats across him, and to fully understand why you need to know a bit of background about the artist and about the man. The artist herself is a devout supporter of Hull City AFC, and clearly, by explicitly calling him a rat, she is against the former chairman and his actions, actions which resulted in the club being financially unstable. You’ve heard of a labour of love, and this piece of art can almost be described as such, showing love from the artist to her beloved football club. Since the focus of the piece is not the football club but the previous chairman though, it can be described as a labour of hate, and a very effective one at that, as you are drawn into her viewpoint, and you leave with the image of Duffen where he belongs; in amongst rats, firmly imprinted in your mind.

Writer detail:

Christopher Megginn - Art Reviewer

Venue detail:
Bluecoat Close

Post your comment

No one has commented on this article yet, why not be the first?

To post a comment you need to login

Back to top

Back to reviews »