Classical Clayton

  TALKING ‘BOUT THE BAD GIRLS: REVIEW OF ‘FATAL ATTRACTION: LILITH & HER SISTERS’ EXHIBITION AT THE ATKINSON ART GALLERY , SOUTHPORT   I never cease to be impressed by the way in which the Atkinson (a local authority-run museum and art gallery in Southport ) consistently manages to deliver engaging and stylish exhibitions despite working with very limited resources.   Highlights over the last few years have included shows on the ‘discovery’ of Egypt by Western tourists and archaeologists ( Adventures in Egypt ); the Grand Tour ( The Ince Blundell Marbles ); and the Vikings, as well as shows dedicated to the work of Robert Mapplethorpe and Vivienne Westwood.         The Atkinson’s latest exhibition, curated by Dr Laura Eastlake from the English Department at Edge Hill University, draws on paintings, ceramics, sculpture, book illustrations (Aubrey Beardsley’s Salome ) and film ( Mata Hari, Cleopatra, Theda Bara as the ‘Vamp’)  to explore how the idea of the femme fatale f