The House of Commons

This print of a scene inside the House of Commons was one of a number of plates which were published in Chris Orr's 'The New Microcosm of London'.

Inspired by Rudolph Ackerman's 19th century publication 'The Microcosm of London', as well as by the 18th century satirical artist William Hogarth, Orr set out to make a visual record of contemporary London through the medium of printmaking.

The subject of this plate is Prime Minister's Question Time in the House of Commons. A Labour backbencher has just quoted from 'The Guardian' and thrown a rolled-up copy of the paper across the chamber. It passes close to the Conservative Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, and its flight is traced with a black dotted line.

Born in Islington and raised in south London, Orr studied at Ravensbourne and Hornsey Colleges of Art. Later he attended the Royal College of Art. He was appointed Professor of Printmaking at the RCA in 1998. He began making prints in his twenties and has described 'the role of the artist as a voyeur and a viewer.'