Hew Locke: The Ambassadors at The Lowry

Kirsty Jukes

Art historian and writer Kirsty Jukes reviews the long-awaited return of Hew Locke’s commissioned exhibition ‘The Ambassadors’ (2019) to The Lowry after its delay by the Pandemic. Having been shown as part of ‘In the Black Fantastic’ in both London and Rotterdam, this major new work is now available to view for free at The Lowry, Salford until 25 June 2023.

Hew Locke, a Guyanese-British sculptor and visual artist born in Edinburgh in 1959, is concerned with ideas of identity and dislocation, the purpose of monuments and symbols of national authority. His work invites us to consider our relationship to a shared colonial past and present as well as historical narratives such as who should be immortalised in our society and why. He is noted for his large figurative statues and public art installations including commissions for Trafalgar Square’s fourth plinth, HMS Belfast and Tate Britain’s façade and Duveen Galleries. His work is alive and layered with meaning that requires unpicking. Using satire and humour to approach dark subject matter, he has long been an art industry insider, awake to the intricacies of British colonial history and its ties to money and power. By creating work steeped in the traditions of this country and inverting its original meaning, he empowers his public to think critically about how and why the upper classes choose who is sanctified and who is ignored. The heroes of ‘Great Britain’s’ capitalist past and present are soaked in the blood of people they subjugate as Locke’s work keenly and cleverly demonstrates.

For this project, ‘The Ambassadors’, Locke has created a sculptural installation reminiscent of ethnographic displays in institutions such as London’s British Museum or the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris. Unwavering in its intent, Locke’s work pokes holes in our knowledge of history, offering a new look at the possibilities for change in racial discourse and politics. This display turns exploitative collecting and display practices on their head, handing back the power to those disenfranchised by it for so long. Of this exhibition, Michael Simpson, Director of Visual Art at The Lowry says: “’The Ambassadors’ is by far The Lowry’s most important commission to date, given Hew Locke’s international reputation; the quality of the work and the wider political and social debates that surround public statuary. The Lowry was proud to commission ‘The Ambassadors’ in 2019, and it was hugely disappointing that the Pandemic prevented us from showing them sooner. We are now thrilled to be able to present them as originally planned in Salford and for our audiences to enjoy.”

'The Ambassadors' are four Afro-futurist black figures' on horseback dressed in individual ways that incorporate some uniform elements. Two women and two men take their equine seats on plinths, meeting entrants to the exhibition space with a steely gaze. Their role as envoys has reached a crossroads, are they going to part, carrying their credentials onward in opposite directions, or is this an outpost that they are guarding together? Locke sees these characters as hailing from a parallel universe, inhabited by post-apocalyptic civilisations in barren desert-like conditions. The Wastelands of Mad Max or Arrakis of Dune may automatically spring to mind; however, these ideas, much like the colonialist emblems that adorn our Ambassadors, are rooted in black subjugation as both film productions have been reprimanded for damaging the desert ecosystems of Namibia and Jordan, respectively. The disposable nature of black life and culture in the West is highlighted over and again throughout this exhibition.

Part decorated statue, part phenomenal world object the presence of each of the four ‘Ambassadors’ sits somewhere between monument and living being. They look as though they have stepped directly out of a looted high relief bronze ready to take action against their plunderers. The stealing of sacred artefacts from their rightful owners during ‘civilising’ missions has become a well-known part of Western history. ‘The Ambassadors’ assist viewers in visualising what it might look like if the ancients came back to reclaim what is theirs in reparations. Made with armature, a framework around which the sculpture is built providing structure and stability, they started as skeletal forms steadily brought to life. Detailed hand-mades form a kind of overcoat which unites the bronze figurative elements to create the bodily forms. In an interview, Locke tells the story of a massive marble foot in the basement of the British Museum, part of a pair that came with hands and a head, all of which were assembled around wooden framing to create Greek statues. Clever draping of a paludamentum, or Roman military cloak, over the substructure decreases the probability of damage in the transport of a huge, heavy statue. This is the way in which Locke and his team have created the works on display here, a clever trick of engineering invisible to the eye Locke’s appropriation of the British Museum’s techniques in his anti-colonialist work, especially that used for Greek statuary, raises further questions around cultural vandalism such as in the case of the ‘Elgin’ Marbles which lie dislocated and damaged at the institution to this day.

The detailing of each work is fascinating and takes some time to absorb fully. Each figure has their own aesthetic; however, they are all intrinsically linked by similar motifs. Portraits of Toussaint Louverture (a leader of the Haitian independence movement during the French Revolution and key to the abolishment of slavery), replica Ashanti war medals, six-guns, Bajan slave pennies, emblematic flags and pre-Columbian gold objects are draped alongside jesmonite memento moris, hessian sacks, embossed brass panels, strings of beads and animal prints. It is an assault on the senses imbued with a deep sense of history that is worth taking the time to unravel. Each fragment combines to highlight the entanglement of different civilisations through trade, war, slavery and colonisation. The envoys carry it on their backs, surviving, thriving even; their very presence is a warning against a brutal repetition of history.

The warrior’s attire echoes that of the Samurai, supreme military leaders or Shōguns commonly seen sitting resplendent on horseback in museum display cases around the world. Despite being hollow vessels of Ō-yoroi, they still manage to promote a sense of awe despite their emptiness. Unlike their Japanese counterparts, Locke’s four champions seem very much alive and ready to gallop right out into Salford Quays, wreaking havoc on passers-by. Their steeds, for the time being, stand straight and still, proud heads aloft. The obedience and alertness of these horses suggests control. More traditional depictions of horses in statuary can signify death, the animal faithfully transporting its rider away from the battlefield.

Alongside the main features of this exhibition are printed and painted works on paper. On the walls surrounding the Ambassadors themselves is bespoke wallpaper featuring imagery from Locke’s ongoing ‘Share’ series. Locke explained that he became obsessed with collecting these now-obsolete historical documents and uses them as source material symbolising the history and movement of power, money and ownership. They make for an interesting backdrop and, again, show the multi-layered thinking that has gone into creating this work.

Outside the main space are three new framed works featuring shares that have local significance. The reworked certificates have been overpainted by Locke in acrylic. Information is either highlighted or obscured revealing hidden truths about the companies represented in the documents. For the ‘Manchester Ship Canal Company’ certificate (pictured above) Locke has chosen to paint three Irish ‘Navvies’ holding the tools of their trade - a pickaxe and a shovel - used to dig the canals. The ‘Navvies’, a colloquial term for labourers on these systems and short for navigators, will have toiled in harsh conditions for very little pay, endangering their health and even their lives in the name of industrial progress. Men came from all over to work in this way and those migrating from Ireland especially faced extreme prejudices during the six years it took to complete the project. Seen to ‘bring down the moral standard’ of Manchester by their mere presence, this attitude echoes modern calls for the curtailing of immigration to the UK from countries outside of the EU (and in some cases within it). Two other works in this series feature The Millar Loom Company and Middleton and Tonge Cotton Mill. All three companies have connections with North-West England and add a regional element to Locke’s narrative. By including remnants of local equity, Locke binds the North West region to the wider global economy built on human cost.

Adjacent to the exhibition is the clay studio, a public participation project in which visitors can create their own artwork for free. Sunprinting and clay building workshops run by local artists Audrey Albert and Aliyah Hussain respectively are taking place throughout the show’s run. The space is fun as well as educational with plenty of opportunities to learn about monuments and their meanings. On visiting the studio himself, Locke was pleased by the quality of work on display, good-humouredly stating that these were the ‘gold standard’ of clay models and even taking pictures of some of the public’s miniature models. This interaction between artist and public breaks down barriers to creativity and is key to demystifying the art world and decolonising arts education. It was a pleasure to see and a great end to an enlightening visit to The Lowry.

With thanks to -

Nicola Singh, a British-Indian visual artist and performance artist based in Todmorden, interviewed Locke on Thursday 11 May introduced by The Lowry’s Contemporary Curator Zoe Watson. This was a fantastic opportunity to hear Locke speak candidly in honest dialogue with the institution. This helped to deepen my understanding of the work and the man behind it, so I wish to thank all involved for creating such an excellent exchange.

This major commission was made possible thanks to Arts Council England and Salford City Council.

‘The Ambassadors’ runs until Sunday 25 June 2023 Hew Locke: The Ambassadors | What's On | The Lowry