David Blandy’s first major London solo exhibition is presented as a library of his video works, comics and personal influences.
In the main gallery at Cell Project Space visitors are able to thumb through David Blandy’s personal collection of classic comics, groove to a fine selection of rare Northern Soul vinyl before settling down for a session on his PS2. At listening posts stationed throughout the library viewers can self-select any of his backlog of artist videos from early humorous, musical, lip-synching works to his more recent ‘Barefoot Lone Pilgrim’ trilogy.
Echoing the 70s TV classic, the orange Kungfu-robed artist-cum-pilgrim undertakes a journey of self discovery from the expanses of the Lake District to the commotion of North London, guided only by hip-hop from his portable record player and brief encounters with heroes Bruce Lee and Kaine.
Throughout David Blandy’s work there is a questioning of the extent to which the self is formed through the ubiquity of mass media records, film or TV. In his library David lays bare his appropriation, sampling and referencing of hip-hop, soul, kungfu and youth culture in an attempt to reveal his rambling thoughts and cultural confusion.
