The Landed Gentry
Beneath the gilded façade of the British aristocracy, a sinister reality lurks. These images expose the parasitic nature of its power, built on the suffering and exploitation of others. From the crumbling ruins of their ancestral homes to the grotesquery that lurks in their shadows, these images challenge the romanticised view of the landed gentry, revealing a legacy of oppression that continues to shape our world.
The landed gentry, historically a class of British landowners living off the wealth of their estates, here symbolise corruption and exploitation, evoking ideas of enslavement—both literal and metaphorical—suggesting the ruling class's dependence on the suffering and toil of others to maintain their luxurious lifestyles.
The grotesque creatures behind them serve as metaphors for the parasitic nature of such power, while the lifeless corpses allude to the human cost, whether through economic exploitation or historic abuses. These eerie juxtapositions challenge the glorified perception of the British aristocracy, drawing attention to the systems of oppression embedded within the grandeur of the old world.
The images question the veneer of respectability that cloaks this ruling class, peeling back the layers to reveal a twisted, unsettling reality—one that confronts the legacy of exploitation and corruption that still resonates so strongly today.