George Saxon and D. John Briscoe (1949-2013)

“A masterpiece”
“A remarkable heart aching and beautiful experience”
“The performance was amazing, the anger & frantic energy”

These are audience responses to a groundbreaking exhibition of work exploring the last taboo, dying and death.

In 2013 artist George Saxon commenced development on the central work for exhibition, A Record of Undying in collaboration with his late partner D. John Briscoe (1949-2013). With Briscoe as subject, he developed intimate photographs and films shot during the period leading up to and including his partner’s death. The depiction of death and dying and the artist’s response to loss is a recurring theme in the visual arts, yet the depiction is usually literary or historical. This work is rooted in lived experience.

The exhibition presented a new large-scale installation of photographs and moving image alongside Blissfully Gunned Down (1980 – 2013), a live durational 16mm performance which reworks footage of D. John Briscoe’s staged death in 1980.

A Record of Undying is a profound and powerful experience; an unflinchingly personal exploration of contemporary attitudes to critical illness and bereavement.

View extracts from the exhibition here.

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Events Programme:

Friday 03 October, 6-9pm
Exhibition Launch & Performance 

Thursday 23 October, 7pm
Death and the Moving Image

A one-off panel discussion which unpicked themes from the exhibition including the depiction of death in visual art, bereavement, death and dying.

Panellists included George Saxon (Artist), Yasmeen Baig-Clifford (Exhibition Curator and Director of Vivid Projects), Dr Michele Aaron (Senior Lecturer in Film Studies at University of Birmingham).

Thursday 30 October, 3-4pm
Artist & Curator Talk

Artist George Saxon and curator Yasmeen Baig-Clifford hosted guided tour through the exhibition with a conversation exploring the project and its themes.

Friday 07 November, 12-7.30pm
Exhibition Late Opening

There was a final chance to see George Saxon perform Blissfully Gunned Down (7pm) plus late opening as part of Digbeth First Friday.

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A Record of Undying gratefully acknowledges support from The Henry Moore Foundation, The National Lottery through Arts Council England, and Invacare.