Artwork
Cafe of Equivalent$
Cafe of Equivalent$ is a print by Peter Kennard. It dates from 2009 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Cafe of Equivalent$ is a 2009 inkjet print artwork by Peter Kennard, superimposed onto a page from the Financial Times newspaper. The monochrome collage integrates a striking, centrally placed image of a car crash amidst densely packed black-and-white headlines and advertisements.
Subject & Meaning
The juxtaposition of a dramatic car crash with mundane financial news and ads critiques the equivalence given to disparate events in media representation, highlighting societal priorities and the commodification of information.
Technique & Style
Kennard employs a characteristic photomontage technique, overlaying a prominent, high-contrast car crash image onto a pre-existing newspaper layout, leveraging the inherent authenticity of the Financial Times page to convey his message.
History & Provenance
Created in 2009, the work reflects Kennard's ongoing practice of repurposing media artifacts to comment on contemporary issues, consistent with his body of work that challenges viewers to reconsider the information presented to them.
Context
Emerging in 2009, Cafe of Equivalent$ responds to the global financial crisis of the late 2000s, using the Financial Times as a backdrop to reflect on how economic and tragic events are equivalently valued in media discourse.
Legacy
This work contributes to Kennard's legacy of politically charged, accessible art, influencing subsequent generations of artists in using found media to critique societal and economic norms.
Artist & collection
Artist
Peter Kennard (born 17 February 1949) is a London-born and based photomontage artist and Professor of Political Art at the Royal College of Art.
