Page 5 - OSG: Georgea Blakey: Carousel

Georgea Blakey

Welcome to and all aboard Georgea Blakey’s
Carousel, it promises to be an exciting ride.
Innovative in conception and
execution, each and every one of Georgea’s

works for Carousel is striking, stylish and
smart and, even better, they make
you smile.
There is, of course, a great tradition of
humour and satire in art, including British
artists such as Hogarth in the 18th century
to Banksy in the 21st; Georgea’s work is part
of that lineage. Standing on their own two,
or four feet, as in the case of Carousel’s

pieces, as pure visual feasts, there is then the
pleasure of uncovering the details and story
behind each work.
It is the pleasure derived from this journey, the getting closer to see the details and
understanding how each piece came about, that makes the collaboration with horse racing
such a good fit. The inspiration for the show is the lexicon of words and phrases unique to
horses, and in particular racing.
Racing has its own language, and the show plays on that. And, as in racing, when

you scratch below the surface of a horse’s form or pedigree it draws you in deeper, the
same can be said for Georgea’s pieces. The closer you look, the more you see, the more
rewarding the experience. When you know, you know.
Indeed, it is a conundrum faced by racing’s own marketing arms; how to make the
sport more accessible to those who don’t understand its language, but without losing the
magic and heritage that is a key part of the sport’s attraction. They could take heed of
Georgea’s work in Carousel, for one. How it brilliantly takes inspiration from the past to
produce modern day gems. John Maxse, 2024