Peter Liversidge

This artworks is part of Ways of Seeing, a partnership between Waltham Forest London Borough of Culture 2019 and the Government Art Collection. Ways of Seeing turns the borough into a gallery with 33 internationally renowned artists displayed in 28 unexpected locations.

How many artists does it take to change a lightbulb?
Ten. One to change it, and nine to say how good it looks.

Is a joke a work of art? The Joke’s On Us! centres around a set of screenprints by Peter Liversidge. In 2017, he began collecting jokes from well-known British comedians. For this exhibition, The Mill also invited local people to share their favourite jokes. Is yours one of them?

Jokes and art have more in common than you think. Like jokes, art can make you laugh or groan. Both can take you somewhere else. It could be into someone’s mind (“I tried to catch fog the other day. Mist”) or to an absurd new world (“Two wi-fi antennas got married last Saturday. The reception was fantastic”). 

Different joke prints are being given away every day. If you visit The Mill each day, you can collect all 12.

Born in Lincoln, Peter Liversidge works with everyday materials to question what is and isn’t art, often using a surreal sense of humour. In 2015, he collaborated with school children for Notes on Protesting, a show at the Whitechapel Gallery. He has also written choral music inspired by the Tate Modern.

Tell us what the artwork makes you think and feel using #wfculture19