The Human Factor, The Hayward Gallery

The Human Factor at the Hayward Gallery explores how contemporary artists have hadelled the ancient motif of the human figure, using it to explore varied social and cultural issues

There is an argument to be made that, as long as humans have stood upright, we have attempted to represent ourselves and our beliefs in figurative sculpture. The Human Factor: The Figure in Contemporary Sculpture at the Hayward Gallery shows ways in which contemporary artists have redefined figurative sculpture for their own generations. The works draw on the medium's rich history in order to explore contemporary issues such as consumerism and global warming, as well as modern explorations on timeless concerns such a sexuality and mortality.  

In the show

As we have come to expect from the Hayward's summer shows, The Human Factor is a spectacular crowd-pleasing show, with a formidable line-up of internationally acclaimed artists. One of the highlights is Yinka Shonibare's Boy On a Globe, in which a headless youth balances precariously on an old model of the world. As with many of Shonibare’s figures he is dressed in the bright, wax batik fabric that is commonly associated with African dress, but in fact has a complex history brought about by colonial trade routes. Adding to the layers of interpretation, the globe doesn’t use the myriad of pastels colours found on the conventional classroom map, but instead shows a limited palette of infra-red hues that speak of global warming. 

Equally not to be missed is Cady Noland's iconic Bluewald.  In this infamous piece a newspaper photograph of Lee Harvey Oswald being shot was printed onto an aluminium sheet and punctured with several 'bullet holes', one of which is stuffed with an American flag. Other notorious figures from modern history who become the subject of artistic scrutiny in the show include Adolf Hitler, John F. Kennedy, Dick Cheney and even Jesus. 

Critical view

The political overtones are key to the force of a lot of the works here, and it successfully draws out attention to one social issue that remains pertinent today: the use of the human figure and human ‘figures’ as a contested symbols and a sights of meaning. In short it asks one question: what does it mean to be human?