This Arts and Crafts Movement gem on the shores of Lake Windermere is not to be missed
Five reasons we love the work of Robert Montgomery
Five reasons we love the work of Robert Montgomery
14 Jun 2018
Robert Montgomery wants to talk to you.
The work of this Scottish conceptual artist falls somewhere between art and poetry. He puts words in places you wouldn’t expect: at bus stops, on the shoreline, against mountains – recognisable at once for their spare white typography. Whether he’s discussing consumerism or beauty, his art thrums with a particularly sore lyricism.
We love his work. Here are five reasons you should too.
1) His art hijacks advertising
For the past 10 years, Montgomery has put poetry where adverts should be – and not always legally.
2) He speaks to everyone
You don’t need an art history degree to interact with these works. He is interested in the ordinary person at the bus stop. ‘I think at its best, art is an intimate conversation with strangers,’ he has said. ‘One at a time, heart to heart.’
3) He fights the good fight
Montgomery’s work is unashamedly anti-authoritarian. He decries consumerism and aligns himself with the revolutionary Situationists of the 20th century. Amid the clamour of anti-Iraq war demonstrations, he snuck out and pasted his first-ever billboard poem:
WHEN WE ARE SLEEPING, AEROPLANES CARRY MEMORIES OF THE HORRORS WE HAVE GIVEN OUR SILENT CONSENT TO...
4) He helps us find the sacred in the mundane
About the uncanny presence of trees in a city, he says:
AND THE TREES ARE SENTINELS OF SOMETHING, STANDING THERE BETWEEN THE BUILDINGS BREATHING LIKE HORSES ALL NIGHT
And there’s a fine-spun simplicity to:
WHENEVER YOU SEE THE SUN REFLECTED IN THE WINDOW OF A BUILDING IT IS AN ANGEL
5) His poetry makes us ache
Anyone who has lost someone catches their breath at this one:
Images: Courtesy of the artist and Cob Gallery, London
About the Author
The Arts Society
JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
Become an instant expert!
Find out more about the arts by becoming a Supporter of The Arts Society.
For just £20 a year you will receive invitations to exclusive member events and courses, special offers and concessions, our regular newsletter and our beautiful arts magazine, full of news, views, events and artist profiles.
FIND YOUR NEAREST SOCIETY
MORE FEATURES
Did you know it’s World Book and Copyright Day? Ciaran Sneddon marks the moment with his round-up of paintings with literary presence
How was it that one of Britain’s august art institutions went from having two female artists among its founders to excluding women artists for centuries? Our expert, Dr Amy Lim, reveals the details of one of the most important chapters in the history of British women artists