David Austen Antechamber 1997. As part of the exhibition Antechamber at the Whitechapel Gallery,London, the artist and curator selected a diverse selection of ancient Egyptian artefacts to exhibit with paintings which were inspired by their forms. David Austen was particularly inspired by the curved and geometric shapes of ancient glass and stone vessels. The idea of the 'antechamber' related to the essential preparatory thought process in the mind of the artist prior to the production of the work of art. The antiquities loaned specially from the reserve collection of the British Museum were arranged, un-labelled in a specially constructed vitrine installed juxtaposed with a series of Austen's paintings and drawings.     Installation view of David Austen's painting   The vitrine of The Bristish Museum's ancient Egyptian artefacts