Texts by David Blandy, Annie Jael Kwan and Joel Tan.
Softcover
86pp, 22.9 x 15.2cm
Illustrated in colour and b&w
ISBN: 9781912431182
Published by John Hansard Gallery, 2023
Designed and edited by David Blandy to weave links between the threads in his work, the book includes contributions by curator and researcher, Annie Jael Kwan, with her beautiful reminiscence on a steaming bowl of juk (rice porridge) and the script for Empire of the Swamp written by playwright and writer Joel Tan, where he imagines a conversation between a crocodile, a lost soldier and an ant; a fable of nature and the repercussions of colonialism.
Detailed Description
A new artist book by British artist David Blandy to accompany his most ambitious solo exhibition to date, building upon his continued interest in history, the legacy of empire and the climate crisis.
David Blandy (born 1976) weaves poetic works that explore the complexities of communal and personal heritage, with research spanning multiple forms of archive, from historic texts to academic archives, archaeology and ecological theory.
All the writing and images in the book interconnect through the story of Blandy’s grandfather, a British soldier interred as a Japanese prisoner of war in Singapore and Taiwan (Formosa), who always believed that the horrific atomic bombing of Hiroshima saved his life.
The book features Blandy’s poetic scripts and film stills from his film installations; and a selection of archival images and gathered ephemera.
Published to accompany David Blandy’s major exhibition at John Hansard Gallery, Southampton, ‘Atomic Light’ 11 Feb – 6 May 2023.
Delivery: UK £4.75; rest of the world £15.00, orders are shipped weekly.
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