Derek Jarman’s Visionary Arts: Exploring Land and Depth

Derek Jarman's place in film history is secured by his vibrant, defiant films that experiment with the process of filmmaking and create new forms. His paintings, while less well known, are explored in Michael Charlesworth's book-length study, which highlights his interest in depth psychology. Charlesworth also showcases Jarman's excellence as a writer with his memoir, Kicking the Pricks. The book offers a novel approach to Jarman's cinema, selecting films that emphasize themes and artistry rather than narrative. It explores the ways in which Jungian and post-Jungian psychology were absorbed into Jarman's varied works, celebrating him as one of the major British artists of the late 20th century.

Format: Hardback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 13 June 2024
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Derek Jarman's place in the history of film is secure due to his vibrant and defiant films that push the boundaries of filmmaking and create new forms. While his paintings are less well-known, they are equally exciting and profound. Michael Charlesworth's book-length study of Jarman's artistic practice, "Derek Jarman: Visionary Arts," sheds light on the varied ramifications of Jarman's artistic practice from his years at Prospect Cottage, Dungeness, and provides the first book-length study of his interest in depth psychology. Charlesworth draws on Jarman's paintings, especially his landscapes from the 1960s and 70s, his multiple series such as "black & broken glass," "GBH," "Queer," and "Evil Queen," and his last "Ecstatic Landscapes" (1991-3). He also showcases Jarman's excellence as a writer with respect to his memoir, "Kicking the Pricks." In a novel approach to Jarman's cinema, selecting films such as "Journey to Avebury" (1973), "Caravaggio" (1986), "The Garden" (1990), and "Blue" (1993), Charlesworth emphasizes themes and artistry rather than narrative. Exploring the ways in which Jungian and post-Jungian psychology were absorbed into Jarman's varied works, "Derek Jarman's Visionary Arts" provides a fresh perspective on his painting, film, and writing. It celebrates him as one of the major British artists of the late 20th century, engaging with current debates about queer sexualities, environmentalism, and climate catastrophe.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350385733