John Phillips -

Conversation Pieces from the Museum of Unrest

Featuring: Naiza Khan, Lilophilia, Naho Matsuda, David Palacios, John Phillips

Posters from West London Housing Campaigns

Working at Paddington Printshop in the 1970s and 80s John designed many posters with and for tenants and squatting organisations. Also featured is a poster design in the immediate aftermath of the tragic Grenfell Tower fire on 14 June 2017, in which 72 people lost their lives.

Image of burning flowers set against a black ground with white lettering Justice for Grenfell

Title Justice for Grenfell Medium Inkjet print Size Various A4 to A0 Date 2017

Image of guards marching past Buckingham Palace in bright colours with lettering On average housing conditions in Westminster are te best in the country

Title Justice for Grenfell Medium Inkjet print Size Size 84 x 59 cm Date 2017

Drawing of man with multi-tonged head and the lettering Money Talks

Title Money Talks Medium Screenprint Size 84 x 59 cm Date 1987

Drawing of a house come old fashioned telephone with the lettering Advisory Service for Squatters

Title Advisory Service for Squatters Medium Screenprint Size 76 x 50 cm Date 1979

collage of dancers on poster advertising benefit event

Title Squatter’s Benefit Bop Medium Screenprint Size Date 1978

Image of figure with pinstripe suit, bowler hat and face of a bulldozer scoop with the lettering We are a little worried about our landlord

Title Little Worried... Medium Sceenprint Size 76 x 50 cm Date 1986

Image of buisiness men engaged in sale of social housing with their rate of pay and telephone numbers and proposal that social housing tenant call thems

Title Why are these men smiling? Medium Screenprint Size 1-2 x 127 cm Date 1987

Featured in this exhibition are posters supporting the Walterton and Elgin Action Group’s campaign against Westminster City Council’s plan to privatise their estate in order to increase local owner occupation and thereby increase the number of conservative voters. The campaign culminated in the Public Auditor’s findings that the Council had spent £25 million of public money in attempted gerrymandering. Because the council undertook no repairs of the 1000 properties during the six year struggle, the housing association formed by the tenants (Walterton and Elgin Community Homes) took ownership of the entire estate at no cost plus a bonus payment of £16 million from the Council to assist refurbishment.

John co-founded and worked at Paddington Printshop West London (1975-89), was Director of London Print Workshop/londonprintstudio1989-2021, and is currently Director of lps21 and the Museum of Unrest. He has a PhD from the University of Brighton

His work is held in a number of public collections including Victoria & Albert Museum, the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam, and Rhode Island School of Design Museum.