Contemporary collecting
David Hockney to Cornelia Parker 

In 2001 the Museum received a grant from the Rootstein Hopkins Foundation to purchase works on paper by artists based in Britain. Founded by theatre and retail prop designers Adel Rootstein (1930‒92) and Richard Hopkins (1927‒2000), the foundation aimed to support living artists and designers. Around 300 works have been acquired by the Museum as a result, transforming the contemporary Prints and Drawings collection.

Presenting around 100 highlights from this group, the exhibition demonstrates the range and diversity of the works acquired, which include prints by David Hockney, Michael Craig-Martin, Cornelia Parker and Yinka Shonibare CBE as well as drawings by Richard Deacon, Celia Paul and Soheila Sokhanvari. It explores the relationship between the Museum's contemporary and historical collections through works of art inspired by art history, including prints and drawings by Pablo Bronstein, Glenn Brown, Ann-Marie James and Jake Garfield. The selection also shows contemporary artists continuing to engage with political and social issues, through works such as Sarah Ball's anonymous portraits of interned people and Joy Gerrard's Vigil/Protest (Westminster 14th March 2021), an ink drawing depicting a vigil and protest following the murder of Sarah Everard in London in 2021.