Jubilee Dancer

2011
Stokes, Matt
Matt Stokes's practice stems from his ongoing investigation into musical subcultures. Immersing himself within marginal communities, he collaborates with their members and gathers information and materials related to their history, aesthetics and values. The resulting diverse artworks have taken the form of film, installations and events. As Stokes cautions, 'I'm an artist who uses film, but that doesn't make me a filmmaker – which I think is another realm.' Jubilee Dancer (2010) features footage filmed on a night-vision camera during a 'cave rave' near the town of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, in 2002. Situated on local farmland, the event was organised as an alternative to celebrations marking the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. In Stokes's film the rave's original soundtrack has been replaced by a traditional folk 'reel'. A close-up of a pair of dancing feet, momentarily syncing with the cheerful tune, helps to root this 21st-century event in a rich history of counter-culture celebrations and rural revelry.
  • Artwork Details: running time: 1 minutes 28seconds
  • Edition: 2 of 3
  • Material description: 16mm B/W film with audio
  • Credit line: © the artist.
  • Theme:
  • Medium: Film and Audio Visual
  • Accession number: ACC43/2015

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