Hervé Télémaque The Weathervane 1969 © Tate Photography
The works in this room explore consumerism, mass-produced objects and advertising as the emerging visual language of the 1960s and 1970s
The Western European economic boom which followed the Second World War profoundly altered the lives of millions of people. Artists reacted in different ways to the new social landscape of consumer culture. Some imitated the language of advertising, design and popular media. They reproduced recognisable imagery in paintings as a commentary on their changing society. Others made artworks from objects associated with overproduction. These sculptures often incorporated cheaply made products and brightly coloured synthetic components. For the artists presented in this room, these operations were always ironic. They borrowed the visual language of consumer culture not to celebrate it, but to reveal it as excessive, absurd and shallow.
In 1964, the painter Hervé Télémaque was among the organisers of an influential exhibition titled Mythologies Quotidiennes (Everyday Mythologies), held at the Musée d’Art Moderne in Paris. All of the artists in this room were included except for Tetsumi Kudo, who participated in an expanded second edition staged in 1977.
The exhibition explored the new visual culture of consumer goods and mass media entertainment, which seemed to be replacing the symbols and icons of myth, religion and history. It featured artists associated with the European nouveau réalisme (new realism) movement, who made works out of found objects and rubbish as a way of re-presenting real life. Mythologies Quotidiennes served as a launchpad for the French figuration narrative (narrative figuration) movement, of which Télémaque was a central figure. This style of representational painting infused popular imagery with a surreal and satirical tone. Similar politically charged and media infused figurative styles from across the world can be seen in the Beyond Pop room (Room 12 of the Media Networks display).
Tate Modern
Natalie Bell Building Level 4 East
Room 4
24 July 2023 – 9 November 2025
Free
Edward Ruscha, Your A Dead Man (Country Cityscapes series) 2001
The titles of the works in this series are not visible in the images, but appear to have been blanked out, obscuring the landscape behind. These titles are aggressive cowboy catch-phrases from the Western movie genre. Ruscha suggests how cultural stereotypes affect the way we see the North American landscape. These clichés are often generated in mass-media producing cities, such as Los Angeles.
Gallery label, July 2019
1/12
artworks in Everyday Mythologies
Edward Ruscha, It’s Payback Time (Country Cityscapes series) 2001
The titles of the works in this series are not visible in the images, but appear to have been blanked out, obscuring the landscape behind. These titles are aggressive cowboy catch-phrases from the Western movie genre. Ruscha suggests how cultural stereotypes affect the way we see the North American landscape. These clichés are often generated in mass-media producing cities, such as Los Angeles.
Gallery label, July 2019
2/12
artworks in Everyday Mythologies
Edward Ruscha, Be Careful... You Hear Me? (Country Cityscapes series) 2001
The titles of the works in this series are not visible in the images, but appear to have been blanked out, obscuring the landscape behind. These titles are aggressive cowboy catch-phrases from the Western movie genre. Ruscha suggests how cultural stereotypes affect the way we see the North American landscape. These clichés are often generated in mass-media producing cities, such as Los Angeles.
Gallery label, July 2019
3/12
artworks in Everyday Mythologies
Edward Ruscha, You Will Eat Hot Lead (Country Cityscapes series) 2001
The titles of the works in this series are not visible in the images, but appear to have been blanked out, obscuring the landscape behind. These titles are aggressive cowboy catch-phrases from the Western movie genre. Ruscha suggests how cultural stereotypes affect the way we see the North American landscape. These clichés are often generated in mass-media producing cities, such as Los Angeles.
Gallery label, July 2019
4/12
artworks in Everyday Mythologies
Santu Mofokeng, A Roadside Sign in Tshwane, Marabastad / Hammanskraal c.2008, printed 2011
This black and white photograph is from Santu Mofokeng’s series Billboards 1991–2009, a series that draws attention to the omnipresence of advertising posters in various locations around Mofokeng’s native South Africa. Tate has five works from Billboards in its collection: Street Scene – Rockville c.2004, printed 2011 (Tate P82115); Robben Island as You’ve Never Seen It Before c.2002, printed 2011 (Tate P82116); ‘Y’ello Freedom’, Baragwanath Terminus – Diepkloof c.2004, printed 2011 (Tate P82272); Potchefstroom Road, Soweto 2009, printed 2011 (Tate P82273); and A Roadside Sign in Tshwane, Marabastad / Hammanskraal c.2008, printed 2011 (Tate P82117). The photographs in Billboards were taken over a number of years between 1991 and 2009 and printed in 2011 in editions of five plus two artist’s proofs; Tate’s copy of A Roadside Sign in Tshwane, Marabastad / Hammanskraal is number one in the main edition.
5/12
artworks in Everyday Mythologies
Ken Lum, You Don’t Love Me 1994
This work is part of Lum's Portrait-Repeated Text series which mirrors the techniques and visual language of public billboards, and are often also displayed on billboards or outdoors. Rather than selling something, the images and accompanying texts encourage a sense of empathy with the highly relatable characters depicted. Lum was concerned with the socio-economic pressures faced by working-class people in 1990s Vancouver. He says: 'I'm interested in moments and what is real, the little daily eruptions that seem to run counter to the way things "ought" to be'.
Gallery label, December 2025
8/12
artworks in Everyday Mythologies
Santu Mofokeng, Street Scene - Rockville c.2004, printed 2011
This black and white photograph is from Santu Mofokeng’s series Billboards 1991–2009, a series that draws attention to the omnipresence of advertising posters in various locations around Mofokeng’s native South Africa. Tate has five works from Billboards in its collection: Street Scene – Rockville c.2004, printed 2011 (Tate P82115); Robben Island as You’ve Never Seen It Before c.2002, printed 2011 (Tate P82116); ‘Y’ello Freedom’, Baragwanath Terminus – Diepkloof c.2004, printed 2011 (Tate P82272); Potchefstroom Road, Soweto 2009, printed 2011 (Tate P82273); and A Roadside Sign in Tshwane, Marabastad / Hammanskraal c.2008, printed 2011 (Tate P82117). The photographs in Billboards were taken over a number of years between 1991 and 2009 and printed in 2011 in editions of five plus two artist’s proofs; Tate’s copy of ‘Y’ello Freedom’, Baragwanath Terminus – Diepkloof is number four in the main edition.
9/12
artworks in Everyday Mythologies
Santu Mofokeng, Robben Island as You’ve Never Seen It Before c.2002, printed 2011
This black and white photograph is from Santu Mofokeng’s series Billboards 1991–2009, a series that draws attention to the omnipresence of advertising posters in various locations around Mofokeng’s native South Africa. Tate has five works from Billboards in its collection: Street Scene – Rockville c.2004, printed 2011 (Tate P82115); Robben Island as You’ve Never Seen It Before c.2002, printed 2011 (Tate P82116); ‘Y’ello Freedom’, Baragwanath Terminus – Diepkloof c.2004, printed 2011 (Tate P82272); Potchefstroom Road, Soweto 2009, printed 2011 (Tate P82273); and A Roadside Sign in Tshwane, Marabastad / Hammanskraal c.2008, printed 2011 (Tate P82117). The photographs in Billboards were taken over a number of years between 1991 and 2009 and printed in 2011 in editions of five plus two artist’s proofs; Tate’s copy of Robben Island as You’ve Never Seen It Before is number three in the main edition.
10/12
artworks in Everyday Mythologies
Edward Ruscha, Noose Around Your Neck (Country Cityscapes series) 2001
The titles of the works in this series are not visible in the images, but appear to have been blanked out, obscuring the landscape behind. These titles are aggressive cowboy catch-phrases from the Western movie genre. Ruscha suggests how cultural stereotypes affect the way we see the North American landscape. These clichés are often generated in mass-media producing cities, such as Los Angeles.
Gallery label, July 2019
11/12
artworks in Everyday Mythologies
Edward Ruscha, Do As Told or Suffer (Country Cityscapes series) 2001
The titles of the works in this series are not visible in the images, but appear to have been blanked out, obscuring the landscape behind. These titles are aggressive cowboy catch-phrases from the Western movie genre. Ruscha suggests how cultural stereotypes affect the way we see the North American landscape. These clichés are often generated in mass-media producing cities, such as Los Angeles.
Gallery label, July 2019
12/12
artworks in Everyday Mythologies
Art in this room
Edward Ruscha
Your A Dead Man (Country Cityscapes series)
2001
Edward Ruscha
It’s Payback Time (Country Cityscapes series)
2001
Edward Ruscha
Be Careful... You Hear Me? (Country Cityscapes series)
2001
Edward Ruscha
You Will Eat Hot Lead (Country Cityscapes series)
2001
Santu Mofokeng
A Roadside Sign in Tshwane, Marabastad / Hammanskraal
c.2008, printed 2011
Sorry, no image available
Santu Mofokeng
‘Y’ello Freedom’, Baragwanath Terminus - Diepkloof
c.2004, printed 2011
You've viewed 6/12 artworks
You've viewed 12/12 artworks