On the occasion of an exhibition opening, there is a short and rather predictable list of gifts that an artist might expect to receive. Lavish bouquets and extravagant champagne are usual – Tupperware boxes filled with homemade sandwiches are, however, rather less so. Yet, at the launch of her first exhibition, this is exactly what Emma Hart’s mother gave her.
This loving gesture left Hart embarrassed – and not for the first time. As an artist from a working-class background, she had often felt at odds with the rigid expectations of the art world. In an industry where economic, cultural and social capital can all be paramount to success, the pressure to say or do the “right thing” can be immense.
