Mary unpacks the complex subject of art and ideology, considering a range of very different works that have challenged the political and social status quo, expressing opinions and attitudes that many have wanted to silence - and even erase.

She examines artwork ranging from the etchings of Otto Dix, banned by the Nazis, to the paintings of artist and gay activist Derek Jarman and the now famous (or infamous) statue of Edmund Colston. She considers the challenges of the representation of religious images from England to West Africa, examines how art has been weaponised to serve political ends, and asks what the best way might be to engage with a nation’s 'offensive' history. Show less