UCL alumnus Derek Jarman celebrated

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channel4.com/more4/documentaries/doc-feature.jsp?id=195" target="_self">More 4 Jarman season

Serpentine Gallery

'Mapping Perception'

Derek Jarman, a graduate of the UCL Slade School of Art and one of the most influential British filmmakers of the 1970s and 80s, is currently being celebrated through a season of films of More 4 and a new exhibition at the Serpentine Gallery.

Jarman, who died of an AIDS-related illness in 1994, made several important independent films, including 'Blue', 'Sebastiane' and 'Caravaggio'. His work is notable for its innovation, and he used a Super 8mm film camera throughout his life, both to make films and to record his friends' and his own day-to-day experiences. He also explored controversial social themes: he was one of the first filmmakers to positively portray gay sexuality and was a prominent campaigner for gay rights. A collection of his 8mm films, together with footage of interviews he gave during his lifetime, has been gathered into a new film, 'Derek', which premiered on More 4 earlier this month and now forms part of the Serpentine exhibition.

The Jarman Season also marks the launch of the Jarman Award. A celebration of his life and work, the award aims to honour the spirit of experimentation, imagination and inspiration in the work of UK artist filmmakers.

Among the four short-listed nominees for the award is Andrew Kötting, also an alumnus of the UCL Slade School of Art, who is now a senior lecturer in time-based media at University College for the Creative Arts (formerly the Kent Institute of Art & Design) in Maidstone. Previous works include 'Mapping Perception', a collaborative project also involving Dr Mark Lythgoe, (UCL Institute of Child Health).

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