Considered a figure of the British avant-garde feminist art scene, Rose Finn-Kelcey (Northampton 1945–2014 London) developed a multimedia practice questioning power relations and notions of agency. Early in her career she staged works in public spaces, such as the Battersea Power Station in 1972, from which she hoisted printed 'Power for the People' flags, which were taken down after they had raised the concerns of Chelsea residents across the river. Irony plays a great part in Finn-Kelcey's work. She practiced an astute art of detour using humour to critically address issues going from monetary values to religious beliefs: Bureau de Change (1987), one of her most famous installations, reproduced Van Gogh's famous sunflowers with £1000 in coins after the original was sold to a Japanese insurance agency for £22.5m, while It pays to pray (1999) hijacked chocolate vending-machines by inserting prayers in place of the products. Rose Finn-Kelcey left behind her a substantial body of work characterised by her unique blend of irreverence, wit and mischief.
Text by Mouna Mekouar. Courtesy Kate MacGarry.
Kate MacGarry represents these artists: