OXFORD MODERN ART MODERN STUART BRISLEY

STATE OF DENMARK EXHIBITION GUIDE EXHIBITION

EXHIBITION GUIDE

RACHAEL MINOTT RACHAEL PLATFORM MODERN ART OXFORD

Glave, Akashic Books, 2013 Books, Akashic Glave,

Tomas Tomas Flesh, & Politics Bloodpeople: the Among

STUART BRISLEY s

STATE OF DENMARK 2001 Studies, Caribbean Societyfor

Ruth Minott Egglestone, Egglestone, Minott Ruth

CURATED BY DAVID THORP WITH THE MUSEUM OF ORDURE Pantomime, Jamaican

A Philosophy of Survival: Anancyism in in Anancyism Survival: of Philosophy A

Upper Galleries s

20 September - 16 November 1977 API, Edward Kamau Brathwaite, Brathwaite, Kamau Edward

This exhibition presents a selected survey of where Brisley worked gathering information on the Liberation, People’s Nanny, Sam Sharpe, and the Struggle for for Struggle the and Sharpe, Sam Nanny,

historical and recent work by seminal British history and customs of the area in an attempt to s

artist Stuart Brisley (b. Surrey, 1933). Celebrated create an active social tool which would develop 2005 Routledge, Donnell,

Alison Alison

as a performance artist, the great breadth and the town’s sense of community, rather than simply History, Literary Anglophone in Moments

Critical Critical Literature: Caribbean Twentieth-Century

diversity of Brisley’s practice will be explored in produce a mere archive. This presentation is s

State of Denmark through a range of sculpture, complemented by a study room where key texts Reading Further

photography, film and painting. and resources which relate to the history and p.74

culture of mining in the UK is available for you to Britain Great Review, Headline (2008) Thompson

Throughout his career, now spanning six decades, explore. Cezair- Margaret Paradise, of History True The

Brisley has consistently interrogated the political 2014 October 12 - September 29

righteous; if we did not fight now, then when? when? then now, fight not did we if righteous;

conventions of the time. From his early projects Stuart Brisley’s engagement with the act of painting University Brookes Oxford

being free men? Free men, amen. God was with the the with was God amen. men, Free men? free being

in ‘60s post-war Germany and his recurring is explored in a passage of works in the Piper Girling Matt

engagement with the politics of Northern Ireland Gallery. Titled Royal Ordure (1996), the painting Haytians, those than advantaged more not we were

man? The Lord had strengthened them. Amen. And And Amen. them. strengthened had Lord The man?

to his more recent critique of the British monarchy evokes an ongoing and increasingly central 2014 September 12-26

Hadn’t the slaves of Hayti triumphed over the white white the over triumphed Hayti of slaves the Hadn’t

and systems of power, Brisley’s profound and concern in Brisley’s practice; the tussle with a Reading of University

me. I don’t know why. I started to shout with the rest. rest. the with shout to started I why. know don’t I me.

singular voice resonates with a younger generation social and cultural detritus; real, metaphorical and Minott Rachael

of artists working today. imagined. Similarly, The Missing Text, Interregnum around those of response spirited the by and words

the wind…’ I found myself strangely swayed by his his by swayed strangely myself found I wind…’ the

1-3 (2012-13) depicts a jumble of debris, remnants 2014 August 24 – 12

battle…Then did I beat them small as the dust before before dust the as small them beat I did battle…Then

In a time marked by widespread dissatisfaction with of failed businesses which Brisley discovered in Oxford of University Art, of School Ruskin

Psalms: ‘For thou has girded me with strength unto the the unto strength with me girded has thou ‘For Psalms:

our political institutions, from the protests against an abandoned shop during his 2010 residency at Lakin Rosamund

inequality mounted by the ‘Occupy’ movement PEER, London and which reminded the artist of the from read and side their on being for God to thanks

Mr Bogle was a fiery speaker. He began by giving giving by began He speaker. fiery a was Bogle Mr

to the proposed dismantling of the Unions, this Conservative Party’s slogan for the 2010 general are: artists 2014 Platform

exhibition highlights the urgency of the critique election, ‘Broken Britain’. Extract

gallery context. gallery which Brisley has relentlessly pursued throughout Minott Rachael

valuable experience working in a professional professional a in working experience valuable his work. The enduring relationship with the body as country. the with

marketing and events planning to gain some some gain to planning events and marketing

subject will be traced through an accompanying interaction there of outcomes and intentions their at

including technical installation of their work, work, their of installation technical including

State of Denmark will include early and rarely seen film programme, in which some of Brisley’s looking Europe; from missionaries Baptist of work the

Oxford on all aspects of the gallery’s activity activity gallery’s the of aspects all on Oxford works which reappraise historical moments that most prescient performances can be seen in the examining also whilst Jamaica in politics and religion

working closely with the team at Modern Art Art Modern at team the with closely working chime with the contemporary political climate. Basement. between relationship significant historically the into

present events or performances. They will be be will They performances. or events present

In the Upper Gallery Before the Mast (2013), is a exploration an as intended is and slavery of abolition Space to both develop and show their work, work, their show and develop both to Space State of Denmark is curated by David Thorp in the in instrumental became work religious whose

series of photograph’s from a ten-day performance Each artist has been offered the use of the Project Project the of use the offered been has artist Each association with the Museum of Ordure. The figures key the on reflects event The Jamaica. in

exploring the decimal introduced after exhibition assert’s Brisley’s influence as one of the Church Baptist the of work evangelic the with directly

the French Revolution. This attempt to eradicate all Ruskin School of Art, Oxford University. University. Oxford Art, of School Ruskin most important and enduring voices in international deal which IGJ, the from objects ethnographic and

religious and royalist influences from day-to-day life Reading and Oxford Brookes universities and the the and universities Brookes Oxford and Reading contemporary art. The exhibitiob is accompanied artworks of collection a together brings exhibition This

reveals Brisley’s fascination with the Revolutionary a single artist from each of the graduate shows at at shows graduate the of each from artist single a by a new pamphlet featuring a text by David Thorp. Quote Artist’s

moment which has played itself out consistently artists involved Modern Art Oxford has selected selected has Oxford Art Modern involved artists

throughout his career. This interest is also revealed Stuart Brisley’s destabilisation of received narratives 2pm at Minott Rachael This year, to maximise the opportunity for the the for opportunity the maximise to year, This

in State of Denmark (2014), a new installation resonates with the challenging tone of the work in curator (IGJ) Jamaica’s of Gallery International The

created especially for Modern Art Oxford. Here, an PLATFORM in the Project Space. While Brisley and by exhibition the to introduction an be will There The winner will be announced in October 2014. October in announced be will winner The

iron crown is hung over a collection of clothing. this group of emerging artists hail from different 2-6pm September, of 20th Saturday bespoke professional development and support. support. and development professional bespoke

Beside this stands a wooden structure; one side generations, both exhibitions present alternative View Private A ‘Evangelic’: listed for the Platform prize including a year of of year a including prize Platform the for listed

comprised of removable panels and demarcated positions on the society in which we live today. presents: Jamaica of Gallery International The An artist from each gallery will then be short short be then will gallery each from artist An as republican, the other given over to monarchy. Event

A royal portrait of a child prince is placed inside, Stuart Brisley’s films are shown daily from 11am - months. coming the over exhibit to shows degree

Margate have each selected works from this year’s year’s this from works selected each have Margate

apparently trapped by the system in which it exists. 5pm downstairs in the Basement. installation media Mixed

Gallery, Milton Keynes and Turner Contemporary, Contemporary, Turner and Keynes Milton Gallery,

This work highlights a vulnerability of seemingly ‘Evangelic’ Warr Pavilion, Bexhill; Modern Art Oxford; MK MK Oxford; Art Modern Bexhill; Pavilion, Warr Please feel free to use photography and social presents: Jamaica of Gallery International The

permanent institutions by opposing the political

media in all of the galleries La De Portsmouth; Aspex, - Network Arts Visual systems of republic and monarchy. Visitors are Project Space Project

invited to contribute to this debate by writing on @mao_gallery | Instagram: modernartoxford Contemporary the from galleries Five region. 12-26 September 2014 September 12-26

the structure’s panels. #republic | #monarchy East South the across colleges and universities University of Reading of University new talent emerging from fine art schools of of schools art fine from emerging talent new

is an annual project and aims to nurture nurture to aims and project annual an is

Rachael Minott Rachael

Featured in the Middle Galleries is documentation Platform

of Brisley’s pioneering Peterlee Project 1976-1977, October 12 - August 12 also published as a book on the occasion of this PLATFORM exhibition. Peterlee is a mining town in Durham QUIET REPUBLICANISM THE FRENCH REVOLUTIONARY STUART BRISLEY Modern UK republicanism has been unfortunately CALENDAR STATE OF DENMARK CURATED BY DAVID THORP WITH THE MUSEUM OF ORDURE little more than a vandalising impulse, taboo-shrunk Upper Galleries to mere naughtiness: unable to upset the landscape, In early summer 1789 a revolution in Paris led to the frequently carried through root-and-branch reform 20 September - 16 November rebels are reduced to stealing Papa’s stamp-album or fall of the French absolute state and its replacement but they have never been tempted to change the by a constitutional monarchy. Three years later, in carving their initials on the ancestral furniture. During calendar. Presumably, the alienation that this This exhibition presents a selected survey of where Brisley worked gathering information on the August 1792, radicals overthrew the constitutional the 1964-66 Labour government its most radical would engender is seen as a step too far. This historical and recent work by seminal British history and customs of the area in an attempt to monarchy and established the First French Republic Minister was reduced to a campaign to remove the raises the interesting question of how the Christian artist Stuart Brisley (b. Surrey, 1933). Celebrated create an active social tool which would develop which survived until 1804 when Napoleon was Queen’s profile from some of our postage-stamps. and Islamic were ever successfully as a performance artist, the great breadth and the town’s sense of community, rather than simply declared emperor. The revolutionaries of 1789 His efforts were neatly foiled. But of course real established to begin with. diversity of Brisley’s practice will be explored in produce a mere archive. This presentation is wanted to make a clean break with the past. They Republicanism would have by contrast paradoxically State of Denmark through a range of sculpture, complemented by a study room where key texts divided the old French provinces into eighty- little to do with the Monarchy as such. It can only Laurence Brockliss photography, film and painting. and resources which relate to the history and three departments named after the rivers that acquire sense and public dignity as a refutation of Professor of Early-Modern French History, culture of mining in the UK is available for you to passed through them and set up a new currency what the Crown means: that is, as a refusal of the the University of Oxford, and Tutor in History, Throughout his career, now spanning six decades, explore. whole estate and a demand for the new constitutional and system of weights and measures based upon Magdalen College Brisley has consistently interrogated the political habitat which must one day replace it. the number ten. The republicans went one stage conventions of the time. From his early projects Stuart Brisley’s engagement with the act of painting further and created a new calendar built on the in ‘60s post-war Germany and his recurring is explored in a passage of works in the Piper Though I have touched on the subject a number decimal system. France no longer had a past. Year engagement with the politics of Northern Ireland Gallery. Titled Royal Ordure (1996), the painting of times, there are still some important lessons in I began on 22 September 1792, the day after the to his more recent critique of the British monarchy evokes an ongoing and increasingly central the later decline and fall of Republicanism worth abolition of the monarchy. and systems of power, Brisley’s profound and concern in Brisley’s practice; the tussle with a considering. The old Chartist question had been: singular voice resonates with a younger generation social and cultural detritus; real, metaphorical and How can Old Corruption ever be overthrown without The Revolutionary calendar bore no resemblance of artists working today. imagined. Similarly, The Missing Text, Interregnum getting rid of its most blatant and odious symbol? to our own. The year was divided into twelve 1-3 (2012-13) depicts a jumble of debris, remnants How can a new, democratic nation ever arise without months of thirty days. Each month contained three In a time marked by widespread dissatisfaction with of failed businesses which Brisley discovered in destroying this bloated embodiment of the old one – of ten days, each day ten hours, each hour our political institutions, from the protests against an abandoned shop during his 2010 residency at the ‘hoary, false nation’ of the Norman Yoke, Lordship, 100 minutes, and each minute 100 seconds. Every inequality mounted by the ‘Occupy’ movement PEER, London and which reminded the artist of the the Rotten Boroughs, and Property? care was taken to ensure there was no connection to the proposed dismantling of the Unions, this Conservative Party’s slogan for the 2010 general with the old calendar. The months were given exhibition highlights the urgency of the critique election, ‘Broken Britain’. Around 1870, Republicanism was abandoned to appropriate climatic or agricultural names; the which Brisley has relentlessly pursued throughout sectarian movements increasingly self-defined by was called a décade; and the days were his work. The enduring relationship with the body as their isolation from popular feeling and the political numbered one to ten. Each day was also given its subject will be traced through an accompanying mainstream. There have been one or two stirrings own individual name drawn from animals, plants State of Denmark will include early and rarely seen film programme, in which some of Brisley’s in the intervening century, but none capable of and minerals. Thus, Christmas Day was the day of works which reappraise historical moments that most prescient performances can be seen in the reconstituting anti-monarchism as a plausible the dog (Chien) and the fifth day of the month of chime with the contemporary political climate. Basement. presence. snow (Nivôse). As there were only 360 days in the In the Upper Gallery Before the Mast (2013), is a Revolutionary calendar, five extra days had to be State of Denmark is curated by David Thorp in One side-effect of this national-popular Monarchism series of photograph’s from a ten-day performance added at the end of the year. These were known as association with the Museum of Ordure. The was that Republicanism acquired an automatic exploring the decimal calendar introduced after the Sans-culottides, after the people of Paris who exhibition assert’s Brisley’s influence as one of the connotation of being ‘middle-class’ or ‘intellectual’ in the French Revolution. This attempt to eradicate all had provided the troops that had swept away the most important and enduring voices in international some deranged and suspect sense. As such it soon religious and royalist influences from day-to-day life monarchy. contemporary art. The exhibitiob is accompanied merited contempt from socialists as well as from reveals Brisley’s fascination with the Revolutionary by a new pamphlet featuring a text by David Thorp. proletarian Tories. Grinding in unison, the two mill- moment which has played itself out consistently No-one, even dedicated republicans, found the stones of Nation and ‘class’ did have the permanent throughout his career. This interest is also revealed Stuart Brisley’s destabilisation of received narratives calendar easy to use, and constructing a clock effect of preventing even a fraction; of the nation from in State of Denmark (2014), a new installation resonates with the challenging tone of the work in which kept was an engineering feat. holding to Republicanism. Working from below, ‘class’ created especially for Modern Art Oxford. Here, an PLATFORM in the Project Space. While Brisley and The revolutionary week was particularly disliked consciousness now found itself with two alternative iron crown is hung over a collection of clothing. this group of emerging artists hail from different by workers and France’s Catholic majority: people (in reality complementary) judgements to deliver Beside this stands a wooden structure; one side generations, both exhibitions present alternative got only one day off in ten rather than one in on the subject: ‘trivial’ when set against the mighty comprised of removable panels and demarcated positions on the society in which we live today. seven, and they could not usually attend church engine of an All-British, Working-class Socialism, as republican, the other given over to monarchy. on the Sabbath. Although the republicans saw the the Monarchy was ‘everything decent about us’ (as A royal portrait of a child prince is placed inside, Stuart Brisley’s films are shown daily from 11am - calendar as a key plank in their campaign to destroy well as a load of fun) to those less enamoured of the apparently trapped by the system in which it exists. 5pm downstairs in the Basement. religious superstition, they gradually bowed to mighty engine, and even to Socialists on their off-duty This work highlights a vulnerability of seemingly the inevitable. The decimal day was abolished in Please feel free to use photography and social days. But Left and Right could now both agree whole- permanent institutions by opposing the political 1795 and the decimal week in 1802. The months media in all of the galleries heartedly that anyone bothering about the Crown as systems of republic and monarchy. Visitors are eventually reverted to their traditional names in such was only a nut. invited to contribute to this debate by writing on @mao_gallery | Instagram: modernartoxford 1805. By then, as is clear from correspondence, the structure’s panels. #republic | #monarchy nobody was using the Revolutionary calendar. It was revived briefly in 1871 when the collapse of Extract from The Enchanted Glass: Britain and Its Featured in the Middle Galleries is documentation France’s Second Empire led to the temporary Monarchy of Brisley’s pioneering Peterlee Project 1976-1977, establishment of the Paris Commune. It has never Professor Tom Nairn also published as a book on the occasion of this been taken up again. Modern revolutionaries have 1988 exhibition. Peterlee is a mining town in Durham 1 5 7 11 3 4

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Resource Room 2

8 9 10

Upper Gallery Middle Galleries Piper Gallery 1 Hille Fellowship 5 Peterlee Project 7 Royal Ordure 226 chairs Ink, paper and photographs, 46 Mixed media on canvas dimensions variable boards, each 45.6 x 55.6 cm, 152 x 122 cm 1970 / 2014 1976-1977 (courtesy Tate Archive) 1996

2 Before The Mast 6 It Can Be Done 8 Missing Text, Interregnum 1 (6 May – 12 May 2010) Ten archival print photographs by Photographic triptych Oil on linen Maya Balcioglu 77cm x 167cm 135 x 196 cm each photograph 38 x 38 cm (unframed) 1986 2012 2013 9 Missing Text, Interregnum 2 (6 May – 12 May 2010) State of Denmark Oil on linen 3 Iron, wood, clothing 135 x 196 cm dimensions variable 2012-13 2014 10 Missing Text, Interregnum 3 (6 May – 12 May 2010) Cutting Edge Primogeniture (Jerusalem) Oil on linen 4 Graphite on paper 135 x 196 cm 52 x 67 cm 2013 2014 11 Chair Wooden chair, papier mache, PVA, acrylic paint, hardwood parquet floor, tar dimensions variable 2011