Jeremy Deller: Joy In People

Jeremy Deller: Joy in People at the Hayward

I went to this exhibition with cynical expectations.  I had seen the excellent Culture Show Documentary on Deller which left me feeling slightly uneasy about his work. My impression was of a very nice, extremely middle class white man whose work boiled down to an attempt to make everyone middle class or to take the sting, pain and power out of people in order to make them more acceptable to middle class values. Honestly, I think I wanted to hate this exhibition, truth is I came out with more confusion and uncertainty than anything else.

On the Culture Show Documentary, I quite liked that Deller's art consisted of creating situations, collaborations and happenings; I could see that being involved in one of his events, from ex miners to Manchester steel bands, was exciting and enjoyable, but I was still slightly uneasy.  In the same way I feel that men painting female nudes should always be questioned and looked at in the context of understanding the power imbalance - I feel that Dellers work requires the same questioning.   The question I was left with, was how do I feel about a white middle class man who's had a privileged upbringing (he went to the prestigious independent boys school Dulwich College) making the subject of his work working class communities and struggle?

The initial parts of Dellers exhibition were  tedious, the re-creation of his bedroom left me cold beyond a kind of twinge of voyeuristic excitement at opening the various cupboards and looking under his bed.  Mostly I just thought, well this is kind of like my bedroom is now (if much neater) and many other people I know - so what’s so special about it??  Likewise, the Manic street Preachers tributes - teenage angst and bad drawings; maybe you had to be a fan to get it.  Installing Valerie’s cafe in the gallery was a stroke of brilliance, a humorous touch that actually encouraged interaction and discussion, turning passive viewers into active participants.

I know Ed Hall, the man who makes all of Jeremy Dellers banners, for years he has made banners for free for the organisation I'm part of (Movement for Justice) as well as many family campaigns; banners made for people who have been killed by the police, banners made following the bombing of Brixton, Brick Lane and Soho by fascist David Copeland (striking the hearts of the black, Asian and gay communities in London), somehow Dellers 'engineered' slogans on banners annoyed me - banners are an important and historic part of struggles for freedom, equality, justice and workers rights - Dellers banners are banners for the middle classes - void of the real meaning and history.

I've been known to say that Tracey Emins recent retrospective at the Hayward had spoiled all future exhibitions for me, that the raw emotion I experienced viewing her work (I cried at several points) has never since been replicated.  I did cry twice at Dellers exhibition, firstly at the Miners strike room and secondly at the bombed Iraqi car.  He had done a good job of telling the story of the miners strike and collecting the voices and experiences of those involved.  His display didn't shy away from the fact that it was a systematic and brutal attack by Thatchers government with the aim of destroying the unions by attacking their strongest point, the miners.  Its impossible not to visit that time and feel the emotion, pain and pride of the time.  I only remember the miners strike through the eyes of a very young child, scattered memories and impressions; but its something that shaped for better or worse many people I know and its impact is still felt in the workers movement today.  Likewise, its impossible to stand next to the crushed, rusted and blasted apart remains of an Iraqi car without feeling.... something; personally I felt extreme sadness.

The emotion in these two instances was not the same as what I experienced with the Emin exhibition.  There it was a visceral connection to the artist, here it was more like visiting a museum collection. 

My absolute favourite thing was Dellers most recent work the 3D bats - this was an overwhelming visual experience you have to experience to understand.

Overall I'd say this exhibition is worth a visit for the fact that it is an interesting mixture of art, documentary, humour and personality.  However, I'm still not convinced and continue to be annoyed!

In terms of its relevance to my final piece and the themes I'm exploring, its not much.  I did think that the feeling evoked by the 3D bats was one I aspire to, a sense of wonder and being immersed in an experience.