Walker Art Gallery highlights contemporary artists and ‘connections, histories and legacies’ to mark 250 years since Turner’s birth
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isitors to a major JMW Turner exhibition may well be surprised to see the opening work is by Jeff Koons, and Damien Hirst sharks, a Bridget Riley stripe painting and some Doc Marten boots supplied by the curator herself are also on display.
“Surprised? That’s what we’re hoping,” said Melissa Gustin, the curator of British art at National Museums Liverpool. But by the end it will all make perfect sense, she hopes. “That is the vibe we are after. We want visitors to see the connections, the histories and the legacies.”
This year is the 250th anniversary of Turner’s birth, which has meant a lot of Turner shows around the world. Gustin has counted at least 24.
