Jonny Banger
Auteur
The first French-language monograph, Art is Magic, explores the cultural references of the renowned British artist—from Rod Stewart to the Industrial Revolution—connecting them to his most iconic works. This highly detailed book, designed by Jeremy Deller himself, is structured into twelve chapters written by the artist and includes five interviews.
Published on the occasion of the first retrospective in France dedicated to Jeremy Deller—winner of the prestigious Turner Prize in 2004 and the UK’s representative at the 2013 Venice Biennale—Art is Magic offers the most comprehensive overview of his work from the 1990s to today. The book examines around fifteen major projects and key works that have shaped his career.
Jeremy Deller is deeply engaged with popular and countercultures. His work revolves around social issues, history, and music, often carrying a distinctly socio-political discourse. By bridging vernacular and mass culture with the world of labor, his artistic explorations have led him to examine the social history of Britain and beyond. From the social conflicts of the Thatcher era to Depeche Mode, professional wrestling, the roots of Brexit, Acid House, and the rave movement. A defining aspect of his practice is his constant effort to involve others in the creative process.
Art is Magic represents an attempt to connect the key works of Jeremy Deller's career with the art, pop music, cinema, politics, and history that have inspired his work. While much has been written about Deller over the decades, this is the first time he has gathered all his cultural sources together. The book is divided into three sections: a visual guide to his favorite works, in-depth reflections on his life and artistic practice, and finally, a picture album explaining what motivates him (from Rod Stewart to bats, from the perfect jukebox to Neolithic axe heads). The book features works that have marked Deller's life and career, most of them previously unpublished. It interweaves his inflatable installation for the Glasgow International Festival, the miners' strike (his film about the Battle of Orgreave), bats (the subject of at least three of Deller's works), Andy Warhol (whom he met in 1986), the connections between the Industrial Revolution and heavy metal, and hen harriers pecking out the eyes of a Conservative MP (featured in his anti-hunting fresco created for the Venice Biennale).