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Work ⟩1970s ⟩A Cycle of Events 1971

About the Work

This work was a further exploration of the idea of a catalogue forming an exhibition as I had previously conceived in 'Ludwig Wittgenstein's Palace of Pun'. However, in this case, I prospected the showing space before devising the show. I decided to make an exhibition that could only be seen sequentially, and the Greenwich Theatre Gallery was perfect for this purpose. The exhibition space was the main corridor and stairs to the theatre's auditorium along which the public would have to pass. I wanted a show that was contextual, self-referential, incestuous, and solipsistic. I thought I had achieved all of the above, but was uncomfortable with the finished result, as it seemed haphazard.
The exhibition consisted of large white boards along the walls, which echoed the handwriting of a school exam paper. These carried my curriculum vitae, a list descriptive of each board and some comments by the 'teacher'. I photographed myself in front of each board on a bicycle, with the word 'faces' written on card covering the front wheel and 'faeces' on the back wheel. These photographs then continued the exhibition, with cartoon-like balloons containing additional comments coming out of my mouth. The exhibition ended with the punch lines '2 Clever x ½' and 'Deep Down Most People Are Shallow', to which a visitor, and better wit, had added 'Well, You should know!' The exhibition received a long review in The Guardian. This again drew my attention to the media as a future source and place for my work.