The exhibition presents work by a range of contemporary artists exploring humour in its many forms. Alongside work by artists including Grayson Perry, Bob and Roberta Smith and Cornelia Parker, is a group of contrasting satirical prints from the 18th and 19th centuries including work by James Gillray.
Mel Brimfield's 4'33" (Prepared Pianola for Roger Bannister) was commissioned by the Government Art Collection to coincide with the 2012 Olympics. It pays homage to American composer John Cage and British runner Roger Bannister, the first man to run a mile under four minutes.
The work incorporates a vintage pianola, prints and audio fragments of national anthems and TV sports programmes.
Peas Are The New Beans by Bob and Roberta Smith (1999 vinyl painting). Taking a deft swipe at bureaucratic beancounters, Bob and Roberta Smith's bold work also hints at the fickleness of the art world.
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An Election Ball by William Heath (c. 1828 coloured lithograph). A piece of 19th century social satire, William Heath's print pokes fun at the taste and manners of his time.
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Untitled (The Race. Eventually You Must Join In) by David Shrigley (2014 ink drawing). Showing stick figures caught on a conveyor belt, David Shrigley's drawing touches on the absurdity and frustration of modern life.
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Jim Lambie, The Doors (LA Woman) 2005 painted sculpture.
The concertinaed door in Jim Lambie's work is not all it seems - referencing the legendary American rock band, it directly links to a poem by William Blake and to Aldous Huxley's 1954 essay, The Doors of Perception.
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Laure Prouvost, At Night This Water Turns Black (2014 mixed media). Opening our minds to new and unseen possibilities, Laure Prouvost's work mischievously invites us to imagine this work in another place or time.
The exhibition is running from 20 October until 26 November. at the Brynmor Jones Library gallery.
The Government Art Collection holds over 14,000 works of art dating from the 16th century to the present day. For the last 119 years it's displayed its collection in British government buildings, including Downing Street and British Embassies in nearly all of the world's capital cities.
