Art and sexual politics: how the past can inform the present

The Mead Gallery launched a new exhibition by Gerard Byrne this term, called ‘1/125 of a second’. I found that Byrne captures the past in various ways, from his video film of New Sexual Lifestyles to the scenic footage of Film Inside an Image.

Byrne’s work on ‘New Sexual Lifestyles’ shows that society is still as hard-pressed as it was in the 60s and 70s with issues concerning sexuality and relationships. As a viewer, I was constantly comparing my own knowledge of modern day ideology with the ideas discussed in the film. While sexual attitudes have become more liberal today, there is no denying that many people still feel uncomfortable when asked about their sexual orientation. Byrne’s film showed me that gender politics is still as disputed as it was during the sexual revolution of the 70s. Overall, sexual attitudes have created enormous impact in society today. I feel that Byrne wants us to realise whether we are undergoing a change in the present era, or whether we have stagnated in our ways of thinking.

can truly appreciate the animals created by nature and be at peace with one’s surroundings

In contrast, ‘Film Inside an Image’ is fundamentally centred on wildlife, where Byrne took inspiration from the Biologiska Musset in Stockholm – a natural history museum that shows a scene of the Nordic landscape. I found that the slow movement of the camera created a feeling of nostalgia within me. The world has so much beauty and there is so little time to see everything. However, by focusing on a few things for a long time, you can truly appreciate the animals created by nature and be at peace with one’s surroundings. The closeness of predators and prey frozen in time also made me think of how one should live life by the moment. I feel that we often lose perspective of our surroundings, especially in the fast-paced world of today.

By exploring the past through photography and film, Byrne wants society to look at the present from a whole new light. Remarkably, I discovered that the ideas of Byrne’s works hold much relevance today. The past can definitely illuminate the present in unexpected ways.