Conor McGrady: The Judgment of History

The Judgement of History explores the role of authority and how it translates into symbols, iconography, and the self-conception of individuals and nation states. Large-scale gouache drawings depict figures of iconic stature situated within modernist and neo-classical architecture. In these works... Read more

The Judgement of History explores the role of authority and how it translates into symbols, iconography, and the self-conception of individuals and nation states. Large-scale gouache drawings depict figures of iconic stature situated within modernist and neo-classical architecture. In these works, groups of anonymous, mostly male figures perform social rituals as a unit in a joint effort against an unseen enemy, or they participate in a collective triumph over unseen victims. The white background and surrounding space, as well as the minimalist treatment of architecture imparts a distilled view of places that visually corresponds to political censorship and the state removal of dissidents, ideas or practices. Smaller works explore contemporary society’s fascination with power and status. In these, the relationship of the artist to the state comes under scrutiny, as does the architecture of government