The Spiral Times: Outer Focus & Derek Jarman | BB

For this my TWENTY FIFTH show, it’s finally time for another OUTER FOCUS, the sideways Spiral Times vertical where we burrow deep into the sound universe of one group or artist I adore. This month it’s the turn of renaissance man and apex homo Michael Derek Elworthy Jarman (1942 - 1994) who spiralled onto and off of this mortal coil in Aquarius season. Derek Jarman's work is a lens for making art in loving fury, a hugely prolific filmmaker painter activist writer costume set designer collaborator and dreamer of the luscious and the profane, the forever king of the english deviants. This show is centred around excerpts of a glorious rare recording of Jarman reading aloud his only narrative fiction work, entitled ‘Through the billboard promised land without ever stopping.’ Of his activism he says simply: “Never mind rocking the boat, some of us wanted to sink the ship of state” Let’s lean into the politically potent and psychedelically campy sides of Jarman-universe, straddling his spikes to lumber across the nuclear shingle of Dungeness, poke around outside Prospect Cottage, and witnessing his glorious whole-life-art through a collage I made of Derek’s voice, clips from his film work, interviews and wider sonic world.

His approach to dying changed something of what it means to die. His garden blooms anew for everyone who discovers his work, and so he lives. If you are new here, I hope you stop to sniff the rust.