This exhibition brings together paintings from 1982–1992, a rich and turbulent period in Jarman's life. The works illustrate the complexity of Jarman's practice and the way in which painting weaves a path through his creative output which included film making, writing, gardening and political activism. The paintings offer an insight into his interests, more specifically alchemy and 17th Century metaphysics as well as the politics of 1980s Britain. They also point to his own personal history–the period when he acquired Prospect Cottage, met HB, the love of his life, made a renowned garden in Dungeness and was diagnosed HIV+. The title of the exhibition comes from Chroma, Jarman's book on colour. It includes work from the 'black series', which he made at Prospect Cottage, as well as one of the powerful Queer paintings made on copies of tabloid newspapers. This concise grouping of paintings from each year of this eventful decade encapsulates the importance of painting in Jarman's practice and his commitment to the exploration of this medium. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication that includes a previously unpublished manifesto written by Jarman in 1984 and new texts by Jonny Bruce, Michael Charlesworth and D Mortimer.
Derek Jarman was a legendary iconoclastic multi-disciplinary artist. Through filmmaking, painting, writing and gardening he offers invaluable insight into the nature of the society in which he lived. His work drew from philosophy and literature as well as his own personal history and his interests included Hereclitus, alchemy and the writing of John Dee, Shakespeare, contemporary music, Benjamin Brittan, gardening and the history of plants. His ground-breaking use of the Super 8 camera used in both short and feature length films, illustrates the same daring innovation as his paintings. His poetry and journals display an immense writing talent and his garden at Prospect Cottage in Dungeness is revered by horticulturists worldwide. He was an ardent and forthright campaigner for gay rights and his work is a powerful testimony to the way he dealt with his HIV status, his sexuality, with homophobia in the press and their manipulation of the AIDS epidemic, and to his courageous confrontation with his own mortality.
Based in Farringdon, Amanda Wilkinson Gallery is a contemporary art gallery with a strong focus on female artists and artists whose work explores issues around gender. The gallery was established in 2017 by its namesake and owner Amanda Wilkinson, previously a partner in Wilkinson Gallery since 2002.
