Gypsy artist’s new exhibition reveals the hidden history of anti Romany legislation in the UK
Delaine LeBas
Local Name: Unknown … Gypsies?
Phoenix Brighton 1 May – 15 June 2014
Gypsy artist’s new exhibition reveals the hidden history of anti Romany legislation in the UK
Earlier this year certain sections of the media got overexcited about threats to the British way of life perceived to be posed by immigrants from Romania and Bulgaria. Now a new exhibition from an internationally renowned UK-based Romany artist examines the treatment, imagery and hidden history of Gypsies in 20th century Britain and today.
Local Name: Unknown … Gypsies? is an installation of new work and performance by Worthing born artist Delaine Le Bas in the gallery at Phoenix Brighton from 26 April to 15 June 2014 as part of the Brighton Fringe.
Drawing upon her Romany heritage and family ties to the New Forest area, Delaine Le Bas explores the artefacts, imagery and hidden history surrounding the Gypsies. Today it is seldom remembered that at a time when much of Europe recoiled in horror at the Nazi persecution of Jews, the British government passed legislation preventing Gypsies from roaming and camping freely on land they had occupied for centuries, herding them instead into makeshift compounds with minimal facilities.
For Local Name: Unknown … Gypsies? Le Bas will recreate and occupy her own version of ‘the compounds’, makeshift structures employed by the British Government to contain Gypsy families in the New Forest in the first half of the 20th century, as an immersive environment constructed within the gallery space. Incorporating photography, film and archival material alongside textiles and costumes, hand printed and embroidered by the artist, the exhibition will feature an evolving installation embodying individual and collective experience. It will shine a contemporary light upon the complex and disturbing story of treatment and attitudes towards Gypsies and those considered ‘outsiders’ throughout the UK and Europe.
Two glass and metal lanterns, hand made in the New Forest, from the collection of Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford serve as the central metaphor and catalyst for this new body of work. These artefacts remind the artist of the ‘magic lantern’ shows her grandmother and great uncles recounted from their childhood in Hampshire and are brought back to life through the stories, performances and activities taking place within the exhibition.
Presented as part of Brighton Fringe Festival this is the first major UK show for Le Bas after exhibiting her work extensively in Europe and the USA. Her art addresses issues around travellers and people commonly perceived as ‘outsiders’ in society and has previously been shown in Berlin, Venice, Gdansk, Warsaw, Helsinki, Graz, Prague, Budapest, New Orleans, Baltimore, Chicago and Portland Oregon and many other locations worldwide.
Delaine Le Bas is a part of large family of English Romany Gypsies who made their home in the South of England and are now based around Worthing, West Sussex. She lives and works in various locations across the UK and Europe. Delaine's artistic practice consists of various sized installations that combine hand made and found objects, mixed media and include the use of sound and performance. By its very nature Delaine’s work is both intensely personal and deeply political, informed by her gypsy background it deals with issues of exclusion, untold stories and stereotypes that are ingrained into the human consciousness.
Although a graduate of St Martins and West Sussex College of Art and Design, Le Bas is generally regarded as an Outsider Artist - one who works outside the established art system and whose art is considered to be instinctive and impulsive. While she accepts this, the baggage of the Outsider label can be seen as a barrier to her strikingly intelligent work gaining acceptance in established art circles, a situation this show seeks to redress.
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This project represents a significant development for Phoenix Brighton in terms of its profile and curatorial identity. The exhibition and supporting programme was developed in collaboration with the artist and commissioned by the gallery. As the organisation enters a new phase of its development we will see a unique programme of exhibitions unfold that is unique to the region , and of national and international relevance. The research and creation of new work for the exhibition has been supported by Arts Council England.
Delaine Le Bas is available for interview and photo opportunities. Contact Steve Forster 01603 661459, 07939 221192 steve@sfppr.co.uk for availabilities.
Listings info:
1 May-15 June
Local Name: Unknown … Gypsies? An exhibition by Delaine LeBas
Romany artist Delaine Le Bas’s exhibition reveals the hidden history of an early 20th century Gypsy compound in the New Forest through textiles, film, photography and performance. (Brighton Fringe)
Phoenix Brighton, 10–14 Waterloo Place, Brighton BN2 9NB. T 01273 603 700
Open Wednesday – Sunday 11am – 5pm Admission Free
Thurs 15, Fri 16 & Sat 17 May 11am – 9pm
Previews: 26 - 30 April
Special Events:
Thursday 15 May, 7 – 10 pm, free
Be Yourself
A fun and celebratory evening of performance and discussion centering around the significance of outward appearance to our perception of ourselves and others. Drawing upon themes within the exhibition, Delaine LeBas will bring a personal and political perspective to the debate in light of the way in which the ‘Gypsy’ has been represented in art and popular culture. Featured guest: Damian James LeBas, poet
Object Or Individual?
Saturday 24 May, 1:30 – 7 pm, £10 / £5 concessions
The title of the exhibition, ‘Local Name Unknown…Gypsies? was taken from a label accompanying Romany artefacts in a museum collection, and reflects the complexities of presenting and classifying objects and cultures within an art historical or anthropological context. This afternoon of presentations, film screenings and discussion will take the experience and viewpoints of Gypsies, ‘Outsiders’ and people belonging to marginalized cultures as a springboard for exploring how we perceive and represent ourselves and others through labels and imagery, both in institutional settings and in our everyday lives. Delaine Le Bas will be joined by John Maizels (Founder of Raw Vision magazine), Dr. Louise Purbrick (University of Brighton), Tony Gammidge (Secure/psychiatric film work) and specialists in other fields. Over the course of the afternoon the panelists and attendees will have an opportunity to debate the issues and bring fresh perspectives to the discussion. There will also be a screening of films from Damian James Le Bas and the Rocket Artists.