Spitting Image: A Controversial History
30 September 2023 – 17 February 2024
Monday – Friday 9am – 6:30pm
Saturday 9am – 4:30pm
Sunday closed
Visitors to the exhibition are welcome to enjoy the Library Tea-Room, open 9am-3pm Monday-Friday, and until 2pm on Saturdays.
Please note that the exhibition will be closed on Tues 28 November due to industrial action,
The satirical television show Spitting Image first aired in 1984 and went on to become a cultural phenomenon. In this exhibition, we explore how the show was made and how it shaped society’s view of royalty, politicians and celebrity.
Through the collections of the University Library and other institutions the exhibition will explore the show's development and impact. Visitors will see how Peter Fluck and Roger Law’s ‘cartoonist eye’ used puppets to satirise life in the UK and how few in British public life were left unscathed. Get up close and personal to some of the show’s iconic puppets.
The exhibition explores the ongoing relevance of satire, the use of art to speak truth to power, and questions if mocking those who seek to rule really does make a difference.
Curated by Dr Christopher Burgess.
Parental guidance: Spitting Image was broadcast after the watershed and DVD releases have been rated as 15.
Please be advised that this exhibition includes latex on open display, that may not be suitable for those with latex allergies.
