Unions can be between people. Friendship, relationships and marriage – are themes often explored by artists.
Union in art could also refer to artists working together, collaborating to share and develop ideas and processes. Interactive artworks and socially engaged practice rely on collaboration with a community, audience or viewer.
People often join together to form unions or movements to voice their concerns about issues or protect their rights. Banners ensure their visibility on marches and demonstrations.
Unions can also be between countries and states with flags representing their ties.
Artists often join objects and materials and formal elements such as textures, colours and shapes to create artworks.
Willow Italian 2014
Paul Scott (b.1953)
Sliced Staffordshire transferware with brass pins, tile cement, epoxy resin & gold leaf
H 28.2 x W 37.6 x D 3.8 cm
Government Art Collection
Lobster Telephone 1936
Salvador Dalí (1904–1989)
Steel, plaster, rubber, resin & paper
H 17.8 x W 33 x D 17.8 cm
Tate
Man Ray (1890–1976)
Wooden metronome & photograph, black & white, on paper
H 21.5 x W 11 x D 11.5 cm
Tate
Balanced Forms in Gunmetal on Cornish Granite 1956–1957
Marlow Moss (1889–1958)
Metal & granite
H 22 x W 33 x D 28.5 cm
Tate
Prototype for 'Hollow Form with Inner Form' 1963
Barbara Hepworth (1903–1975)
Plaster & wood
H 125.8 x W 70.5 x D 74.5 cm
The Hepworth Wakefield
Grantchester Road 1975
Howard Hodgkin (1932–2017)
Oil on wood
H 124.5 x W 145 cm
Pallant House Gallery
Zadie Xa (b.1983)
Synthetic hair on machine stitched & hand sewn fabric
H 130 x W 165 cm
Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre
The Wedding at Cana 1980
Roger Ackling (1947–2014)
Sunlight & wood
H 61 x W 45 cm
British Council Collection
Telephone Wire Basket with Computer Components 2004
Dail Behennah (b.1953)
Telephone wire & computer components
H 8.5 x W 35.5 x D 35.5 cm
Somerset County Council
From the Series 'East End Portraits' 1950–1980
Bandele 'Tex' Ajetunmobi (1921–1994)
Archival C-type print
H 40.6 x W 30.5 cm
Autograph
Tenth Wedding Anniversary Gifts late 19th C
J. Krans (active late 19th C) (attributed to)
Tin
H 60 x W 40.7 x D 23 cm
American Museum & Gardens
From the Series 'East End Portraits' 1950–1980
Bandele 'Tex' Ajetunmobi (1921–1994)
Archival C-type print, Fujicolor Professional paper
H 40.6 x W 30.5 cm
Autograph
Two Heads (Mother and Child) c.1932
Barbara Hepworth (1903–1975)
Pencil on paper
H 21.5 x W 17.2 cm
The Pier Arts Centre
Sophie White
Bronze resin
H 125 x W 112 x D 115 cm
Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust (Art at the Heart of the RUH)
Bouquet with Flying Lovers (Bouquet aux amoureux volants) c.1934–47
Marc Chagall (1887–1985)
Oil on canvas
H 130.5 x W 97.5 cm
Tate
Lovers 1999
Tawanda Sarireni (b.1971)
Brown serpentine stone
H 25.5 x W 26.5 x D 7.5 cm
Peterborough Museum & Art Gallery
Untitled, from the series 'Where We Belong' 2017
Alejandra Carles-Tolra (b.1988)
Studio lustre C-type colour print
H 30 x W 20 cm
Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre
Lovers 1998
Gary Webb (b.1973)
Aluminium & plastic
H 76 x W 36 x D 26 cm
Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre
Harlow Family Group 1954–1955
Henry Moore (1898–1986)
Hadene stone
H 170 x W 139 x D 81.5 cm
Harlow Art Trust
Family Photograph 1982
Klaus Meyer (1918–2002)
Woodcut & linocut on paper
H 49 x W 37.3 cm
Ben Uri Collection
From the Series 'The Black House' 1973–1976
Colin Jones (1936–2021)
Gelatin silver print on Ilford Warmtone VC Matt
H 40.6 x W 50.8 cm
Autograph
Lesmahagow Durbar (6 of 6 from 'The Iqbalnama' series) 2000
The Singh Twins
Poster paint, gouache & gold dust on mountboard
H 32.5 x W 25.5 cm
National Museums Scotland
Jahnavi Inniss (b.1998)
Large format print on paper
H 304.8 x W 609.6 cm
Black Outdoor Art
Pixie Hill 2005
Gilbert & George (active since 1967)
Mixed media
H 302 x W 381 cm
The David and Indrė Roberts Collection
The Chapman Family Collection 2002
Dinos Chapman (b.1962) and Jake Chapman (b.1966)
34 wooden sculptures, metal, horn, coin, bones & shells
Tate
Souped Up Tea Urn & Teapot (Dartford 2004) 2004
Jeremy Deller (b.1966) and Alan Kane (b.1961)
Table, stainless steel tea urn, stainless steel teapot, 12 ceramic tea mugs & wood tray
H 129 x W 122 x D 70 cm
Tate
Mary Seacole 2020
Greg Bunbury (b.1976)
Large format print on paper
H 304.8 x W 609.6 cm
Black Outdoor Art
Carissa Tanton (b.1989) and Kate Hulme (active 2019)
Mixed media
Hastings Museum and Art Gallery
The Adoration of the Chip, Oldham 2009
Ed Hall (b.1944)
Paint on fabric
H 175 x W 150 cm
Gallery Oldham
Pie and the Sky / Basquiat (1960–1988) 2024
Pablo Fiasco and Martin Barrantes
Paint
H 200 x W 300 cm
Two Men Doing Embroidery on a Piece of Cloth 19th C (?)
unknown artist
Gouache on paper (?)
H 11.7 x W 18.5 cm
Wellcome Collection
Two Women Sewing 1953
Robert MacBryde (1913–1966)
Oil on canvas
H 100.3 x W 143.5 cm
National Galleries of Scotland
'Do not go gentle into that good night' 1956
Ceri Giraldus Richards (1903–1971)
Oil on canvas
H 106.7 x W 71.1 cm
Tate
Soul City (Pyramid of Oranges) 1967
Roelof Louw (1936–2017)
Oranges, wood & plastic
H 152.4 x W 166.7 x D 166.7 cm
Tate
Rachel Maclean (b.1987)
Digital print
H 60.9 x W 91.4 cm
Museums & Galleries Edinburgh – City of Edinburgh Council
Black British History is British History 2020
Greg Bunbury (b.1976)
Large format print on paper
H 304.8 x W 609.6 cm
Black Outdoor Art
Destruction of the National Front 1979–80
Eddie Chambers (b.1960)
4 screenprints on paper on card
H 82.7 x W 239.2 cm
Tate
Onward Christian Soldiers 1987
Mowbray Odonkor (b.1962)
Acrylic on paper
H 152 x W 182 cm
Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre
Postcard Flag (Union Jack) 1981
Tony Cragg (b.1949)
Plastic
H 300 x W 440 cm
Leeds Museums and Galleries
European Flag 1992
Peter Fend (b.1950)
Cotton & wood
H 41 x W 31.5 x D 6.3 cm
Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre
Professional Footballers' Association Banner 1991
John Midgely
Acrylic on polyester
H 180 x W 200 cm
People's History Museum
National Federation of Women Workers Banner 1970s
unknown artist
Acrylic on linen
H 132 x W 91 cm
People's History Museum
Explore artists in this Curation
View all 54-
Wardie Church Stitchers -
R. L. Alexander (b.1977) -
Helen Marshall -
Jahnavi Inniss (b.1998) -
Will Collier (b.1964) -
Eddie Chambers (b.1960) -
Zadie Xa (b.1983) -
Gary Webb (b.1973) -
Salvador Dalí (1904–1989) -
Jeremy Deller (b.1966) - View all 54