Art for Politics or Politics for Art - Interview with Steve Lowe of The Aquarium Gallery

One of The Assistant's Policy Posters

Last Thursday, Ken Livingstone raised £230,000 at an art auction for his mayoral re-election campaign, held at the Aquarium Gallery in London’s Clerkenwell. Banksy, Marc Quinn and Anthony Gormley all donated works to the auction: proof that the Labour candidate has the support of the artistic community. But Steve Lowe, director of the gallery which prides itself on being anti-establishment, felt that he couldn’t play host to the gathering of the great and the good without passing comment, and challenging the very idea of a London Mayor. So, he agreed to hold the auction on the understanding that the Aquarium would put forward an opponent. And Ken gave it his blessing. With catchy sound-bites such as “ Liberation Through Dictatorship” and “Londoners: You’re Fat, You’re Depressed, You’re Lost” step forward The Assistant ( aka Abraham Thunderwolf ) the latest, artistic and imagined, Mayoral candidate.

Why is the Assistant imagined :  why not  register as a real candidate and stand properly?
The original idea was to stand for real, that would be a great thing to do, but I also have to run a gallery. We looked into various ways, but then it ruined the fun of it, once you have reality, you can’t have the flights of fancy.
What we’re doing is meant to be a creative response. We’d rather spend the £10,000 ( the cost of registering ) on playing our game, rather than the politics game.

£10,000 - not an inconsiderable sum.
It’s to stop people like me doing things like this!

Wouldn’t it be funny if you did stand for real and became Mayor.
A lot of people have said “I’ll vote for you” but we’re artists, not politicians. I don’t want to be answering lots of questions.  If I did get in, I’d employ a very able assistant.

What does Ken Livingstone think of all this?
Hats off to him, actually. I thought that when we put the idea forward they’d withdraw ( from holding the auction at the Aquarium) but they didn’t. He said yes to it, and sees it as a creative thing.

What are the Assistant’s policies?
I’d kick graffiti artists out of galleries and back onto the streets. OK, Banksy donated a piece to the auction and it made a lot of money ( £195,000) and he’s influenced lots of young people and encouraged them to be interested in art.
But, I would rather he made art in the environment.

Anything else?
I’d turn London into London-on-Thames, like a village. I’d have whole roads dedicated to cyclists.
And one thing I hate is the  continual propogation of fear, crime, that the youth are out of control, stabbing everyone.
It’s propaganda to keep people indoors watching TV.

How’s your campaign going?
We sell our policy print posters: the best and worst selling prints will become our policies, with no middle ground. As it’s an artistic idea we can be flexible, and see how things go.

What’s your aim?
We want to go as far along the process as possible. All the real candidates have their policies produced in a booklet which is then distributed around London. But we’re going to produce our own booklet.

What's the point of the Assistant?
We’re blurring the idea between art and politics and ideas. These days , everyone is visually literate, so they can see our posters and , hopefully, be responsive and critical to the whole process of politics.

Can art change the world?
No, but it can make people see things in a slightly different way.

Loma-Ann Bonner

The Aquarium  L-13, 63 Farringdon Road, London, EC1M 3JB
Buy Policy Posters from The Aquarium 

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