rust 350 - English magic

part 2 of la biennale de Venezia 2013 series that never was

in the British pavilion at the 2013 Venice bienalle , imaginary worlds emerged in Jeremy Deller’s “English Magic” which focuses on British society - its people, icons, myths, folklore and its social, cultural and political history; addressing events from the past, present and an imagined future, Deller worked with a varied range of collaborators including archiologists, musicians, bird sancturies, prisoners and painters

he strings together a narrative that manages to be both critical yet positive and celebratory

the rooms are dotted with visual statements, images with intent, in one, the figure of William Morris is imagined as a giant figure painted on the wall as a colossus throwing a giant yacht into the Venice lagoon (based on Roman Abramovich’s 377-foot yacht, Luna)

in another room, a huge painting of a hen harrier carrying off a Range Rover in its talons refers to the shooting of two hen harriers on Sandringham Estate in 2007 when the only people out shooting that day were prince Harry and his friend William van Cutsen , while next door, a timeline from 1972–3 of poignant political events are interwoven with images from David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust tour

the highlight of Deller’s intelligent project is his new film English Magic which includes footage of children rolling and somersaulting on the inflatable Stonehenge that he created in 2012, the footage then moves on to a balletic yet tough scene of two Range Rovers being crushed - all set to the infectious music of the Melodians’ Steel Orchestra from South London  - one of the crushed Range Rovers (left) has been transformed into the seat (main photo)where visitors sit to watch the film of the Range Rovers being crushed

Deller frames  instances in a way that is contemporary but also true to the original subject, weaving a narrative that is almost psychedelic; hovering delicately between fact and fiction, real and imagined

the exhibition tours England this year, the venues and dates are:

William Morris Gallery, Walthamstow, London Saturday 18 January – Sunday 30 March 2014

Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, Bristol Saturday 12 April – Sunday 21 September 2014

Turner Contemporary, Margate Saturday 11 Oct – Sunday 11 Jan 2015