2014 is the twentieth anniversary of the death of Derek Jarman, one of Britain’s most erudite, esoteric, erotic and exquisite visual artists of recent generations, and as queer as a glittery dildo reading Proust. From Thatcherite satire to reimaginings of Caravaggio and Wittgenstein, videos for Pet Shop Boys to gardening in the shadow of a nuclear generator, his was a world in which beauty, politics, sex, humour, nature and artifice were in constant, flirtatious, gloriously fruitful tension.
Cue the fireworks. Derek Jarman: Pandemonium is an exhibition organised by the Cultural Institute at King’s, where Jarman was an undergraduate, focused on the artist’s London life, with special attention to his student experiences in the 60s, Super 8 work in the 70s and the warehouse spaces at Butler’s Wharf and Bankside where he was based for years. Featuring paintings, magazines and sketchbooks as well as films, it runs January 23 to March 9 at at the Cultural Institute’s Inigo Rooms at Somerset House. It’s is accompanied by some pretty cool-sounding events, including a 24-hour installation, conceived by Neil Bartlett, that will showcase Jarman’s 1985 feature The Angelic Conversation at King’s chapel, and day trips to the beautiful Dungeness cottage where Jarman spent many of his final days. The images of Jarman above, by Ray Dean, are part of the show.
And throughout February and March, BFI Southbank is presenting Queer Pagan Punk, a sensational-looking retrospective of Jarman’s career. I’m most excited about the presentation on the humongous BFI IMAX screen of Blue, the director’s last film, made after he lost his sight to AIDS-related illness and which shows only the titular colour on screen throughout. We can also look forward to digital restorations of Caravaggio, about the painter, and Sebastiane, about the martyr, including loads of naked, horny frolicking Roman soldiers. I remember getting quite hot under the collar when Channel 4 showed it as part of one of their many Censorship seasons in the 90s, while simultaneously being geekily impressed by the fact that its dialogue was in Latin. And there are also rediscoveries from the archives – including Jarman’s long-lost first film, Electric Fairy, from 1971 – and guests including Toyah Willcox, John Maybury, Isaac Julien and Don Boyd. Tickets go on sale in January.
Both are part of Jarman 2014, a yearlong celebration of the artist’s life, which seems also to involve the ICA, Radio 4, Little Joe, Film London and lots of others, though its official site isn’t up yet so I’m not quite sure.
Here, because I love it and him and them, is Jarman’s video for Pet Shop Boys’ It’s a Sin.
