Julie Roberts @ Talbot Rice

On the surface, the exhibition title – Child – seems solely to describe Julie Robert’s subject matter: kitsch and almost fashionable representations of children. But, unpack the blocked colouring book aesthetic (with the help of the guidebook) and tales of war and displacement slowly unfold, contrasting with the initially playful aesthetic of the work and forcing an alternative reading of the show. For Child is not intended as a trip down memory lane to reflect on the universal ‘golden age’ of youth; it is a selection of specific historicised portraits of children affected by great upheavals in the twentieth century.

However, it’s easy to misread the trauma Roberts attempts to explore, distilled as it is, and view the show on a superficial level. Through the language of children’s illustration the images of evacuees, orphans and siblings holding hands and suitcases point to a nostalgic sense of camaraderie long before they evoke the works of theorist Michel Foucault, cited by Roberts as a key influence. As much as she might want to delve into environments where social experiences are given shape, Roberts merely reproduces her sources through paintings that come closer to trivialising them than a subversive parody.

Works on the upper gallery suffer from a further confusion of messages. Presenting domestic scenes such as Wash Day, the pieces attempt to tackle a feminist critique but also appear plundered straight from a 1950s catalogue promoting oppression. In this series Roberts ultimately relies upon the shifting values of a new context to give a fresh meaning to work directly translated from documents sourced from an earlier period. It’s an interesting idea, but one that could perhaps be achieved with the original images rather than Roberts’ colourful, cartoon-like alternatives.