Artist Jeremy Deller on his influences and the joy within his work

TL;DR

Jeremy Deller’s work draws on collaboration, social history, museums, public banners, and people’s reactions, combining joy with darker subjects such as wars and strikes. His Haywood Gallery retrospective gathers material from 20 years and includes banners, a free tea area, a wrestler mural, and a 3D bat film. Read on to discover how these influences changed his approach to art.

Transcript

hello my name is jery Del and I'm an artist and I have an exhibition just over here at the Haywood Gallery bits of Bobs of this and that really ephemerate almost almost an archive from my 20 years of making things or trying not to make things but trying to do things that's probably the better way of looking at it show is called join people by accid... Read More

Key Insights

• 😃 Jery Del's exhibition at the Haywood Gallery blends joy and darkness, reflecting his versatile artistry.
• 🥺 Collaboration with Brass Bands led Del to focus on working with people over creating objects.
• 💖 Del's interest in social history adds depth and meaning to his art, sparking conversations about significant events.
• ❓ The exhibition's carnival-like atmosphere contrasts with its serious social history components, creating a unique experience.
• 🥇 Del finds inspiration in places like the Natural History Museum, influencing his artistic vision and ideas.
• 🥺 Del's fascination with bats led to the creation of a 3D film capturing the overwhelming beauty of nature.
• 🥰 Del's art aims to provoke reactions and interactions from the public, making their engagement a vital part of the creative process.

Questions & Answers

Q: What influences Jeremy Deller’s art?

Deller identifies collaboration, public banners, social history, museums, and nature as major influences on his work. He also watches how the public responds, describing the interaction between viewers and the artwork as almost part of the work itself.

Q: What is Jeremy Deller’s Haywood Gallery exhibition about?

The exhibition brings together ephemera and other material from 20 years of Deller making, or trying not to make, things. It presents art as environments and experiences rather than simply objects placed on walls.

Q: Why did Jeremy Deller begin creating collaborative projects?

Working with a brass band showed Deller that he could work with people instead of things. He says the experience liberated him from making objects and led to projects involving the public or people with specialist knowledge and skills.

Q: How does the exhibition combine joy with darker social history?

The show is colorful, inviting, and carnival-like, but it also contains darker material involving wars, strikes, and specific moments in social history. Deller says the grim car in the exhibition helps puncture its playful atmosphere.

Q: Why are banners important in Jeremy Deller’s work?

Deller regards banners as public objects that are meant to be seen. He enjoys banners made for demonstrations and marches, viewing them as a form of folk or vernacular art.

Q: What can visitors experience inside the exhibition?

Visitors can have a free cup of tea in a facsimile of a snack bar from Berry Market and sit down for a chat. The exhibition also features Valerie’s café, a mural of wrestler Adrian Street, banners, posters, and a festive carnival atmosphere.

Q: How did museums influence Jeremy Deller?

Deller says the Natural Christian Museum in Oxford is his favorite building in Britain and possibly one of his favorite museums. Spending time in museums while growing up influenced how he looks at objects, culture, and the world, while museum visits help him clear his head and generate ideas.

Q: Why did Jeremy Deller make a 3D film about bats?

His interest began after seeing a delicate bat skeleton in a museum and finding it beautiful. He used 3D to convey the enormity of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of bats leaving a Texas cave, presenting the scene without narration or explanation as a primal, visceral encounter with nature.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Jery Del showcases 20 years of art in an exhibition at the Haywood Gallery.

• The exhibition, titled "Join People by Accident," juxtaposes joyful and dark elements.

• Del's collaborative projects and focus on social history redefine traditional art displays.