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 up to Banksy in the 21st, and 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 horseracing 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 deeper in, it is likewise 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.