2017-ongoing; Peckham 24, London; FORMAT Festival, Derby
Mark and I have collaborated for several years on this ongoing body of work, with my role as editor and curator. The project has evolved through several presentations, including two exhibitions and at least two books. The title evokes the atmosphere of tragicomedy in current British governance and an irresponsible culture of blame and ego. Overall Mark’s photography looks at how this period of political turmoil is reflected in the surrealities of the world.
The theme of what is not known and not told during the Brexit process was most clear in the Pre-Brexit Portrait Studio (Peckham 24, May 2018), a pop-up participatory performance event staged by Duffy and curated by myself. The artist asked participants to pose for a photograph in a comic foreground without knowing the image on the front. Playing upon themes of seaside nostalgia and British leisure, the process of engaging with the comic foreground also mimicked the rushed yet decisive event of the Referendum, as sitters did not have full knowledge of the situation they were inserting themselves into.
Briony Carlin 