Building a Nation, a series of intimate performance events leading to a large-scale sculptural installation. He has described the role of the artist as one who rearranges objects that exist in society. In The exhibition Durham will construct an installation using natural and manufactured materials combining wood, laminates, glass and metal. Quotations selected by Durham from famous Americans about American Indians will be interspersed around the structure.
Building a Nation
Jimmie Durham first showed at Matt’s Gallery in 1988. Almost twenty years on, Durham
will return to the Gallery this autumn to present a series of intimate performance
events leading to a large-scale sculptural installation.
Durham has described the role of the artist as one who rearranges objects that exist
in society. In Building a Nation, Durham will construct an installation using
natural and manufactured materials combining wood, laminates, glass and metal.
Quotations selected by Durham from famous Americans about American Indians will be
interspersed around the structure.
Each week during the installation, Durham will make a performance / presentation as
he is working, revealing the progress of the structure and sharing ideas. These
presentations will be conducted by Durham in the interchangeable guises of
carpenter, craftsman and teacher.
Since moving to Europe from Mexico in 1994, Durham has concentrated on the problems
of belief and monumentalism in art and has worked against architecture. Durham has
said, ‘Now we can begin, it seems to me, to be more seriously confused, to be more
profoundly confused than we were before, especially if we can make a final break
within the heroic project of art and architecture.’
Jimmie Durham works primarily in sculpture, his career has spanned theatre,
performance, literature, poetry and visual art. Durham is active in politics and has
played a crucial part in the American Indian Movement in the US since the 1970s. His
work has been exhibited widely at venues including the Palais des Beaux Arts,
Brussels; DAAD Gallery, Berlin; Document XI, Kassel; Hamburg Kunstverein; the
Whitney Biennial, New York; Kunstverein Munich and the Venice Biennale amongst
others. Phaidon produced a comprehensive survey of his work in 1995.
Matt’s Gallery was founded by Robin Klassnik in 1979 and operates as a
not-for-profit publicly funded gallery.
Artists shown at Matt’s Gallery include: Sue Arrowsmith, Elisabeth Ballet, Jordan
Baseman, Anne Bean, Tony Bevan, Edgar Heap of Birds, John Blake, Ian Breakwell
| Jo Bruton, Victor Burgin, Brian Catling, Tom Clark, Hannah Collins, Melanie
Counsell, Fiona Crisp, Juan Cruz, Xenia K. Dieroff, Willie Doherty, Sean Dower
| Jimmie Durham, Till Exit, Graham Fagen, Joel Fisher, John Frankland, Nat
Goodden, Richard Grayson, Lucy Gunning, Gerard Hemsworth, Susan Hiller, Thomas
Holley, Nan Hoover, Jeff Instone, Melanie Jackson, Robert Janz, Rose
Finn-Kelcey, Robin Klassnik, Jaroslaw Kozlowski, Hanna Luczak, Ian McKeever |
Nathaniel Mellors, Mike Nelson, Avis Newman, Gerald Newman, Hayley Newman |
David Osbaldeston, Tomasz Osinski, Gail Pickering, Michael Porter, Helen
Robertson, Gary Stevens, Imogen Stidworthy, Kate Smith, Matthew Tickle, Imants
Tillers, Amikam Toren, David Troostwyk, Alison Turnbull, Phillip Warnell, Carl
von Weiler
, Anthony Wilson, Richard Wilson.
Current and forthcoming Publications:
Anne Bean monograph 'Autobituary' with texts by Guy Brett, Sally O'Reilly and Miria
Swain
Lucy Gunning monograph with texts by Michael Archer, Penelope Curtis and Rachel Withers
Matt’s Gallery is supported by Arts Council England, London.
The Daily Telegraph is media sponsor of Matt’s Gallery.
Building a Nation is supported by The Elephant Trust, Henry Moore Foundation and
Moose Foundation for the Arts and is sponsored by Pergo and Formica Ltd.
Events:
Talking while working with the artist
Each Saturday during October,
2.30 - 4.30pm
Matt’s Gallery
42-44 Copperfield Road - London
Opening hours during exhibition:
Wednesday - Sunday, 12 - 6pm
Admission free