Martin Firrell
Encyclopedia
Martin Firrell. The subjects of maleness, violence and war tend to appear in association with one another; war is often commented upon but not necessarily from a purely pacifist perspective (All Men Are Dangerous, War Is A Male Preoccupation, Keep The Faith, Tate Britain 2006; I Don’t Understand Why There Is War, The Question Mark Inside, St Paul’s Cathedral, London 2008; War Is Always A Failure, Complete Hero, Guards Chapel, London 2009).
The majority of Firrell's works include some form of ancillary visual motif. Most common are vertical lines, either scrolling from left to right, or presented as static fields in ‘agitated motion’. Vertical lines are used to back, or underscore text, or to reveal and obscure text. Customarily the lines have been presented as white light. This vertical line motif appeared in every work between 2006 and 2010 with the exception of I Want To Live In A City Where... (The National Gallery, London 2006).
Firrell has also used what he has described (in the Sky Arts documentary, The Question Mark Inside) as ‘Easter Island heads’ - images of Buddha and Hanuman (Keep The Faith, Tate Britain, London 2006) and recently most notably of Canadian actor Nathan Fillion
(Complete Hero, Guards Chapel, London 2009). The use of Fillion’s likeness was augmented by those of other contributors including Dr Adam Rutherford, April Ashley, Professor A C Grayling and Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry VC.
The ‘Easter Island Head’ motif is revisited and extended in Firrell's 2011 work the Sci Fi Series. Video portraits of performers who are influential in that subculture express the sociological and philosophical significance of the dramas they have played out in their respective television franchises. “I aimed for extreme simplicity and a tacit monumentality, like the heads of Easter Island. The aesthetic problem was always one of portraiture - how do you make portraiture of these incredible performers (and by extension of the characters they have created) that has a clear point of view, a visual strength and distinctiveness?"
Paul Bagshawe founder: Bagshawe Associates,
Don Boyd
: director / producer,
Hilly Boyd: writer,
Colin Burrows MD: Special Treats Productions,
Annie Channing Williams,
Gail Egan: producer, Potboiler Productions,
Christine Hill MBE: CEO MediCinema,
Graeme Knowles: Dean St Paul's Cathedral,
Amy Lamé
: writer / presenter / Duckie! co-founder,
James Layfield: MD Never Ever Limited,
Karen Marshall: Director Curzon Cinemas,
William Maughan: creative consultant,
Kevin Price: COO Bafta,
Nik Ramage: sculptor,
Stevie Spring: CEO Future Publishing,
Barry Stewart Hunter: writer,
Martin Warner
: Bishop of Whitby,
Lady Helen Weavers: Realworld Planning,
Carrie Wicks: Director Firmdale Hotels,
Roger Wingate: Owner Curzon Cinemas,
Sourced from official website (January 2009)
The majority of Firrell's works include some form of ancillary visual motif. Most common are vertical lines, either scrolling from left to right, or presented as static fields in ‘agitated motion’. Vertical lines are used to back, or underscore text, or to reveal and obscure text. Customarily the lines have been presented as white light. This vertical line motif appeared in every work between 2006 and 2010 with the exception of I Want To Live In A City Where... (The National Gallery, London 2006).
Firrell has also used what he has described (in the Sky Arts documentary, The Question Mark Inside) as ‘Easter Island heads’ - images of Buddha and Hanuman (Keep The Faith, Tate Britain, London 2006) and recently most notably of Canadian actor Nathan Fillion
Nathan Fillion
Nathan Fillion is a Canadian actor, currently starring as Richard Castle on the ABC series Castle. He is also known for his portrayal of the lead role of Captain Malcolm Reynolds in the television series Firefly and its feature film continuation, Serenity.He has acted in traditionally distributed...
(Complete Hero, Guards Chapel, London 2009). The use of Fillion’s likeness was augmented by those of other contributors including Dr Adam Rutherford, April Ashley, Professor A C Grayling and Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry VC.
The ‘Easter Island Head’ motif is revisited and extended in Firrell's 2011 work the Sci Fi Series. Video portraits of performers who are influential in that subculture express the sociological and philosophical significance of the dramas they have played out in their respective television franchises. “I aimed for extreme simplicity and a tacit monumentality, like the heads of Easter Island. The aesthetic problem was always one of portraiture - how do you make portraiture of these incredible performers (and by extension of the characters they have created) that has a clear point of view, a visual strength and distinctiveness?"
Patrons
James Alexander: zopa.com / dothegreenthing.com,Paul Bagshawe founder: Bagshawe Associates,
Don Boyd
Don Boyd
Donald William Robertson Boyd Hon D.Litt is a Scottish film director, producer, screenwriter and novelist...
: director / producer,
Hilly Boyd: writer,
Colin Burrows MD: Special Treats Productions,
Annie Channing Williams,
Gail Egan: producer, Potboiler Productions,
Christine Hill MBE: CEO MediCinema,
Graeme Knowles: Dean St Paul's Cathedral,
Amy Lamé
Amy Lamé
Amy Lamé is an American-born, British performer, writer, television and radio presenter and producer.-Biography:Lamé was born Amy Caddle and raised in Keyport, New Jersey. She attended Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland and moved to London in 1992...
: writer / presenter / Duckie! co-founder,
James Layfield: MD Never Ever Limited,
Karen Marshall: Director Curzon Cinemas,
William Maughan: creative consultant,
Kevin Price: COO Bafta,
Nik Ramage: sculptor,
Stevie Spring: CEO Future Publishing,
Barry Stewart Hunter: writer,
Martin Warner
Martin Warner
Martin Warner is an English Technology CEO, film and documentary producer, serial investor and philanthropist. Warner is currently the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of the San Francisco based, online business community company Talkbiznow...
: Bishop of Whitby,
Lady Helen Weavers: Realworld Planning,
Carrie Wicks: Director Firmdale Hotels,
Roger Wingate: Owner Curzon Cinemas,
Sourced from official website (January 2009)
Selected projects
- Sci Fi Series (working title, work in progress, 2009–2011) video portraiture / digital documentary, philosophical truths derived from popular American television science fiction, feat. Ben BrowderBen BrowderRobert Benedic "Ben" Browder is an American actor and writer, best known for his roles as John Crichton in Farscape and Cameron Mitchell in Stargate SG-1.-Early life:...
, Nathan FillionNathan FillionNathan Fillion is a Canadian actor, currently starring as Richard Castle on the ABC series Castle. He is also known for his portrayal of the lead role of Captain Malcolm Reynolds in the television series Firefly and its feature film continuation, Serenity.He has acted in traditionally distributed...
, Joe FlaniganJoe FlaniganJoe Flanigan is an American television actor best known for his portrayal of the character Major/Lt. Colonel John Sheppard in Stargate Atlantis.-Early life:Flanigan was born Joseph Dunnigan III in Los Angeles, California...
, David HewlettDavid HewlettDavid Ian Hewlett is an English-born Canadian actor best known for his role as Dr. Meredith Rodney McKay on the science fiction television shows Stargate SG1 and Stargate Atlantis.-Early life:...
, Torri HigginsonTorri HigginsonSarah Victoria "Torri" Higginson is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her roles in the TekWar movies and series, The English Patient, Bliss, and Stargate Atlantis...
, Christopher JudgeChristopher JudgeDouglas Christopher Judge is an American actor best known for playing Teal'c in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. He attended the University of Oregon on a football scholarship and was a Pacific Ten Conference player.-Early life:Christopher Judge was...
, Eddie McClintockEddie McClintockEdward "Eddie" Theodore McClintock is an American actor who has starred and guest starred in numerous television shows. He currently portrays the role of Secret Service agent Peter Lattimer on the Syfy series Warehouse 13....
, Kate MulgrewKate MulgrewKatherine Kiernan Maria "Kate" Mulgrew is an American actress, most noted for her roles on Star Trek: Voyager as Captain Kathryn Janeway and Ryan's Hope as Mary Ryan...
, David NyklDavid NyklDavid Nykl is a Czech Canadian actor of film, television, commercials and theater.After the Soviet invasion in 1968, he and his family left then-Communist Czechoslovakia for Canada...
et al. - Complete Hero largescale digital projections to the North and West elevations of the Guards Chapel, Birdcage Walk ,London with Nathan FillionNathan FillionNathan Fillion is a Canadian actor, currently starring as Richard Castle on the ABC series Castle. He is also known for his portrayal of the lead role of Captain Malcolm Reynolds in the television series Firefly and its feature film continuation, Serenity.He has acted in traditionally distributed...
, April AshleyApril AshleyApril Ashley is an English model and restaurant hostess. She was the first British person to be outed as a transsexual, which was by the Sunday People in 1961...
, Howard JacobsonHoward JacobsonHoward Jacobson is a Man Booker Prize-winning British Jewish author and journalist. He is best known for writing comic novels that often revolve around the dilemmas of British Jewish characters.-Background:...
, Adam NicolsonAdam NicolsonAdam Nicolson, Baron Carnock, FRSL, FSA , is a British author who writes about English history, landscape and the sea....
, Johnson BeharryJohnson BeharryLance Corporal Johnson Gideon Beharry VC of the 1st Battalion, Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, is a British Army soldier who, on 18 March 2005, was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest military decoration for valour in the British and Commonwealth armed forces, for twice saving members of...
VC, A C Grayling, Wezley Sebastian, Gia MilinovichGia MilinovichGia Michele Milinovich is an American film blogger and producer living in London.Born in Minnesota, she presented TV programmes such as Channel 4's Demolition Day , as well as Sky Sports, Nickelodeon and BBC Radio 5 Live shows dating back to 1995 but now works largely behind the scenes...
, Mo Blackwood, Shazia MirzaShazia MirzaShazia Mirza is a British comedian and columnist from Birmingham, England.-Background:Shazia was born as the eldest daughter in Birmigham to Pakistani parents, Mohammed and Sarwat Mirza...
, Dr Adam Rutherford, Dr Jennifer RohnJennifer Rohn-External links:* - Rohn's website* - Rohn's blog on Occam's Typewriter* - Rohn's Twitter feed* - a science-in-fiction site run by Rohn* Science is Vital webpage...
et al. 2009 - St Paul's CathedralSt Paul's CathedralSt Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
The Question Mark Inside commissioned by Dean and Chapter to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the topping-out of Christopher Wren's cathedral building. Digital text projections to the cathedral dome, West Front and Whispering Gallery, London 2008 - Curzon Cinemas 1968 (digital projections to mark the 40th anniversary of May 1968 for the festival All Power to the Imagination: 1968 and its Legacies) 2008
- Hamlyn Foundation/Royal Opera HouseRoyal Opera HouseThe Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
Power is always temporary (digital projection to the Royal Opera House main stage) 2007 - Royal Opera HouseRoyal Opera HouseThe Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
It's Passion that Binds Us… (digital projection onto the Covent Garden elevation of the Royal Opera House) 2007 - Curzon Cinemas Different is not Wrong (35 mm projection, cinema screens) 2006-7
- Campaign against Climate ChangeCampaign against Climate ChangeThe Campaign against Climate Change is a UK-based pressure group that aims to raise public awareness of anthropogenic climate change through mobilizing mass demonstrations...
How ironic to live in fear of terrorism and die because of climate change (xenon projection to St Pancras Station, Battersea Power StationBattersea Power StationBattersea Power Station is a decommissioned coal-fired power station located on the south bank of the River Thames, in Battersea, South London. The station comprises two individual power stations, built in two stages in the form of a single building. Battersea A Power Station was built first in the...
and ParliamentParliamentA parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
) 2006 - National Gallery, LondonNational Gallery, LondonThe National Gallery is an art museum on Trafalgar Square, London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The gallery is an exempt charity, and a non-departmental public body of the Department for Culture, Media...
I want to live in a city where… (digital projection onto the Trafalgar Square elevation of the National Gallery) 2006 - The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
When the world’s run by fools it’s the duty of intelligence to disobey (projection onto ParliamentPalace of WestminsterThe Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
) 2006 - Tate BritainTate BritainTate Britain is an art gallery situated on Millbank in London, and part of the Tate gallery network in Britain, with Tate Modern, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives. It is the oldest gallery in the network, opening in 1897. It houses a substantial collection of the works of J. M. W. Turner.-History:It...
All men are dangerous (words of wisdom projected onto the Duveen Gallery walls, commissioned by Amy LaméAmy LaméAmy Lamé is an American-born, British performer, writer, television and radio presenter and producer.-Biography:Lamé was born Amy Caddle and raised in Keyport, New Jersey. She attended Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland and moved to London in 1992...
for DuckieDuckie (group)Duckie is a collective of performance artists that describes itself as “a post-gay independent arts outfit.” They produce a mix of so-called "cultural interventions", such as club nights, new-mode pop, burlesque and performance events, as well as anti-theatre experimentation...
) 2006