Biography of Jeremy Deller
Turner Prize winner Jeremy Deller makes socially and politically charged work that takes aim at conservative modes of thinking and turns a wry eye on the ruling elite. Using the mediums of installation and performance, Deller often works collaboratively and is intrigued by the interplay between different communities and social groups. The Battle of Orgreave, 2001, which made use of 800 volunteers, perfectly encapsulates this with a restaging of a violent mid-1980s incident between striking miners and the police. The incident resonated deeply with the communities it affected and Deller was aware that in filming the event, he added yet more impetus to the churning, historical complexity. His body of work often focuses on the divisive points that exist between communities; he then alters contexts, adds a catalyst and records what happens.
Born in 1966 and growing up in South London, Jeremy Deller attended the rigid and traditional Dulwich College where he first started practicing his stance of nonconformity. Famously, Deller was to meet Andy Warhol in 1986 and spend two weeks visiting him in his Factory in New York. In 2010 he was awarded the Albert Medal of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce and in 2012 a retrospective called Joy in People was held at the prestigious Hayward Gallery. Deller had the honor of representing Great Britain at the Venice Biennale in 2013. His prints and multiples are beautifully conceived and celebrate his wittier side.
