Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Admirers at Conservative Party Conference
- Artist: Chris Steele-Perkins
- Date: 1980–9
- Medium: Photograph, dye destruction on paper
- Dimensions: image: 303 x 405 mm
- Museum: Tate Britain
- Collection record: Tate Britain website
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About this artwork
This is “Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Admirers at Conservative Party Conference” by Chris Steele‑Perkins. The photograph is one of a set of forty‑four colour prints that make up his 1980–9 series *The Pleasure Principle*, which documents everyday leisure and cultural rituals across Britain in the early ‘80s. In this shot, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher appears mid‑conference, surrounded by supporters who lean forward to watch her. The image shows him in a tailored suit with tie, his face turned toward the camera, while his admirers form a small group of well‑dressed adults in their own clothing and personal items. Steele‑Perkins used dye destruction on paper to give the print a vivid, almost painterly quality that captures the public rituals he wanted to re‑orientate: “the signals we make about who we are.” The work offers a snapshot of political pageantry, cultural identity, and social commentary all wrapped in bright colour film.
See it in person
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Admirers at Conservative Party Conference is in the collection of Tate Britain on Millbank, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
