Milly Thompson, Nor playing the flute, 2018, Courtesy the Estate of Milly Thompson and Amanda Wilkinson, London.
Pleasure as a Radical Act: Panel Discussion with Emma Kay, Alison Jones and Sally O’Reilly
This is a panel discussion between artists Emma Kay, and Alison Jones chaired by Sally O’Reilly; close friends and collaborators of Milly Thompson, whose exhibition is on view at Goldsmiths CCA.
Together they discussed Thompson’s work practice and life. Thompson’s work celebrates female desire and the middle-aged body, critiquing the hegemonic forces of consumer capitalism, whilst also responding to its seductions. Writing was a central part of her practice, as a sometimes-slippery declaration of her artistic intentions, but also in the as-yet unpublished novel Near Witches, a comic romp and serious consideration of aesthetics and the ups and downs of intimate friendship. The discussion provided an opportunity to explore Thompson’s diverse practice, and the issues and artistic influences – from Martha Rosler to Daphne Du Maurier – that animate it.
The CCA’s catalogue that accompanies the exhibition was also on sale. The book features essays by Linsey Young and Sally O’Reilly, and a roundtable discussion with Alison Jones, Emma Kay, Des Lawrence and Gareth Jones.
6:30pm – Exhibition open for viewing
7pm – Talk starts
BIOGRAPHIES
Alison Jones is an artist whose paintings of people, places, and things explore the to-be-looked-at-ness of femininity, art and luxury. Recent projects include Friendly Fires, Cubitt, London; Magic Mirror, Hydra, Greece and The Look, Space, London. Alison Jones was also engaged in a decade-long collaboration with Milly Thompson which erupted from time to time for a reassessment of Feminism, neo-liberalism, art, showing off, distinction and being HOT. She taught in the Department of Art at Goldsmiths 2008–2023.
Emma Kay is an artist and speculative writer who considers the systems by which we perceive, store and access bodies of knowledge, exploring our subjective relationships with, among other texts and bodies of knowledge, the future, the history of the world, the Story of Art (commissioned for Tate Modern), the works of Shakespeare and the laws of Britain. Emma Kay is represented in national public collections in the UK and abroad.
Sally O’Reilly writes for performance, page and video. Recent projects include the inaugural Big Throw performance event (Matt’s Gallery, 2024), the novella Help in Cucumbers (JOAN, 2023) and the spoken word and music album, with Kit Downes, Where They Gather (October Records, 2022). O’Reilly has also written several other books, a few opera libretti and contributed to countless art magazines and exhibition catalogues and the occasional literary journal. She was a shift manager at The Open Arms online pub and is an editor-at-large for Cabinet magazine.
This is a panel discussion between artists Emma Kay, and Alison Jones chaired by Sally O’Reilly; close friends and collaborators of Milly Thompson, whose exhibition is on view at Goldsmiths CCA.
Together they discussed Thompson’s work practice and life. Thompson’s work celebrates female desire and the middle-aged body, critiquing the hegemonic forces of consumer capitalism, whilst also responding to its seductions. Writing was a central part of her practice, as a sometimes-slippery declaration of her artistic intentions, but also in the as-yet unpublished novel Near Witches, a comic romp and serious consideration of aesthetics and the ups and downs of intimate friendship. The discussion provided an opportunity to explore Thompson’s diverse practice, and the issues and artistic influences – from Martha Rosler to Daphne Du Maurier – that animate it.
The CCA’s catalogue that accompanies the exhibition was also on sale. The book features essays by Linsey Young and Sally O’Reilly, and a roundtable discussion with Alison Jones, Emma Kay, Des Lawrence and Gareth Jones.
6:30pm – Exhibition open for viewing
7pm – Talk starts
BIOGRAPHIES
Alison Jones is an artist whose paintings of people, places, and things explore the to-be-looked-at-ness of femininity, art and luxury. Recent projects include Friendly Fires, Cubitt, London; Magic Mirror, Hydra, Greece and The Look, Space, London. Alison Jones was also engaged in a decade-long collaboration with Milly Thompson which erupted from time to time for a reassessment of Feminism, neo-liberalism, art, showing off, distinction and being HOT. She taught in the Department of Art at Goldsmiths 2008–2023.
Emma Kay is an artist and speculative writer who considers the systems by which we perceive, store and access bodies of knowledge, exploring our subjective relationships with, among other texts and bodies of knowledge, the future, the history of the world, the Story of Art (commissioned for Tate Modern), the works of Shakespeare and the laws of Britain. Emma Kay is represented in national public collections in the UK and abroad.
Sally O’Reilly writes for performance, page and video. Recent projects include the inaugural Big Throw performance event (Matt’s Gallery, 2024), the novella Help in Cucumbers (JOAN, 2023) and the spoken word and music album, with Kit Downes, Where They Gather (October Records, 2022). O’Reilly has also written several other books, a few opera libretti and contributed to countless art magazines and exhibition catalogues and the occasional literary journal. She was a shift manager at The Open Arms online pub and is an editor-at-large for Cabinet magazine.
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