I first encountered the term ‘hegemony’ when, as a precocious teenager, I read widely about international politics. Here, it described a country’s sphere of influence.   Steve Latham   Later, at university, I discovered it was used by Marxists, referring to capitalism’s ideological dominance. I learned to distinguish these uses, […]

In the time between times, between lockdowns, I went to an art exhibition in Whitechapel Gallery, of work by Kai Althoff.   Steve Latham   A German-born artist from Cologne, now resident in the US, Althoff’s paintings are largely figurative. This is appropriate, given the Whitechapel’s championing of a revival […]

The Conservative government has headed off a rebellion from its own MPs, who are unhappy about reimposing the Three Tier system to combat Covid, after the Lockdown finishes. The Prisma’s Memoirs. October 2020.   Steve Latham   These parliamentarians are ideologically committed to individual liberty, and the cause, especially of […]

I went to my barber today. Inevitably, we talked about Covid. She expressed her fear, that current restrictions may become permanent, and we could lose our personal liberties for ever. The Prisma’s Memoirs. October 2020.   Steve Latham   It was, she felt, an opportunity, which the state is taking […]

“Decadence” is usually a term used by right-wing people to castigate individuals and societies with whom they disagree, and whose lifestyle they disapprove of.   Steve Latham   The arts are frequently said to be in decline, embodied in paradoxical trends: a lack of originality and repetition of the past, […]