Luke Fowler
dal 6/5/2009 al 13/6/2009
Segnalato da
6/5/2009
Luke Fowler
Serpentine Gallery, London
A central figure in Glasgow's vibrant art scene, Fowler creates cinematic collages that break down conventional approaches to biographical and documentary film-making. His films have often been linked to British Free Cinema of the 1950s, whose distinctive aesthetic came out of a conscious decision to engage with the reality of British society.
This Serpentine Gallery exhibition is the first major UK presentation
of the respected film artist and musician Luke Fowler (b. 1978), a
central figure in Glasgow’s vibrant art scene.
Fowler’s experimental films focus on meticulously researched
subjects, including vanguard thinkers and counter-cultural figures,
such as maverick psychologist R.D. Laing, post-punk musician
Xentos ‘Fray’ Bentos, the conservationist Bogman Palmjaguar and
the English composer Cornelius Cardew, a founding member of the
Scratch Orchestra.
In 2008, Fowler was the winner of the inaugural Jarman Award for
artist film-makers, presented by Film London and More4 in
partnership with the Serpentine Gallery. This exhibition includes
the screening of Fowler’s 3 Minute Wonders commissioned by More4
as part of the Award, which were broadcast on Channel 4 in
April 2009.
Fowler knowingly references his precursors in film and
documentary making. His work explores the limits of documentary
film-making, and is often linked to the British Free Cinema of the
1950s. Combining new and archival footage, interviews and
photography with densely-layered soundtracks, his work presents a
critical response to the idea that documentary film can offer us a
single objective truth.
However, Fowler moves beyond simply referencing the work of his
predecessors. Intuitively applying the logic, aesthetics and politics of
his subjects onto the film he is constructing about them, he creates
atmospheric, sampled histories that reverberate with the vitality of
the people he studies.
Key works include Pilgrimage From Scattered Points (2006), which
focuses on the English composer Cornelius Cardew, whose avant-
garde Scratch Orchestra celebrated the idea that ‘anyone can
play’. In this work, Fowler examines the conflicts that developed
within the group which led up to it disbanding, combining archival
video clips, photographs, interviews and previously unreleased
music recordings.
The Nine Monads of David Bell (2006) is an investigation into the
world of David Bell, a resident of the psychiatric refuge Kingsley
Hall, which was set up by rebel psychiatrist R.D. Laing. Fowler’s
installation includes audio recordings that document the changing
psychological states of Bell, as well as a film of re-enactments of
Bell’s dreams. The installation includes a variety of works on
paper, including newspapers, which Bell used as writing paper, his
notebooks, and photographs of Bell and other residents of Kingsley Hall.
The exhibition also includes a highlight of the 3rd Yokohama Triennial,
Composition for Flutter Screen (2008). A collaborative work with Japanese
sound artist Toshiya Tsunoda, the film focuses on simple objects or
phenomena seen under continually changing conditions. This new work,
re-configured especially for the Serpentine Gallery, represents a new
direction in Fowler’s use of sound and the moving image.
Collaboration is a key element of Fowler’s process and he himself moves
fluidly himself between the roles of artist, curator, historian, film-maker
and musician. He is a part of the experimental music scene through his
bands Rude Pravo and Lied Music, and he runs the SHADAZZ multimedia
platform whose activities include the production of LPs in collaboration
with other musicians and artists.
Luke Fowler has exhibited internationally in group exhibitions such as the
3rd Yokohama Triennial (2008); Prague Biennale 3, Prague; Rec. Space,
Berlin; East International, Norwich and ‘Organizing Chaos’ at PS1
Contemporary Art Center, New York (all in 2007). He has had solo
exhibitions at Kunsthalle Zurich (2008); White Columns, New York (2006);
Supportico Lopez, Naples (2004); Cubitt Gallery, London (2003); Casco
Project Space, Utrecht (2001) and Transmission, Glasgow (2000).
The exhibition is curated by Julia Peyton-Jones, Director, Hans Ulrich
Obrist, Co-Director, and Sophie O’Brien, Curator, Serpentine Gallery. A
catalogue will be published to coincide with the exhibition, with an essay
by Will Bradley and a conversation with the artist by Stuart Comer.
For further information about the Jarman Award, visit
http://www.filmlondon.org.uk.
Image: What You See Is Where You're At 2001. Hard drive and projector 24 minutes. Courtesy of The Modern Institute, Glasgow © 2009 Luke Fowler
For press information, contact:
Rose Dempsey, 020 7298 1520, rosed@serpentinegallery.org
Fleur Treglown, 020 7298 1528, fleur@serpentinegallery.org
Serpentine Gallery
Kensington Gardens London W2 3XA
Open daily, 10am - 6pm Admission free