Art Sabotage

Set in the Royal Academy's 1997 exhibition, Sensation, the main focus of Piddock’s painting is a portrait of notorious child murderer, Myra Hindley. Marcus Harvey’s controversial image of Hindley's face made of children's handprints was attacked twice. First it was pelted with eggs, the; in Piddock’s image, red paint appears to have been splashed across the giant portrait.

As well as commenting on the vandalism, Art Sabotage makes a striking statement about the contemporary art scene in London by focusing on the relationship between the young generation of British artists and the establishment, the Royal Academy. Influenced by modern advertising media, Piddock’s painting was included in his ‘Gallery Fiction’ series.