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| Douglas Gordon: 'I retain the right to do whatever I want' | Douglas Gordon: 'I retain the right to do whatever I want' |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| In Douglas Gordon’s view, the greatest | In Douglas Gordon’s view, the greatest |
| public art installation in history took place in his hometown Glasgow | public art installation in history took place in his hometown Glasgow |
| in 1988. Celtic were playing Dundee in the Scottish Cup final, though | in 1988. Celtic were playing Dundee in the Scottish Cup final, though |
| the art didn’t happen on the pitch but in the stands. The British prime minister had announced her attendance, and union | the art didn’t happen on the pitch but in the stands. The British prime minister had announced her attendance, and union |
| representatives were handing out red leaflets to every spectator at | representatives were handing out red leaflets to every spectator at |
| the gates. | the gates. |
| “Margaret Thatcher walks into the | “Margaret Thatcher walks into the |
| stadium, and the entire crowd shows her the red card. Isn’t that | stadium, and the entire crowd shows her the red card. Isn’t that |
| fantastic?”, he says, sitting in his grand new studio in one of the | fantastic?”, he says, sitting in his grand new studio in one of the |
| seedier corners of west Berlin, dropping cigarette ash on the floor | seedier corners of west Berlin, dropping cigarette ash on the floor |
| with excitement. | with excitement. |
| Gordon himself missed the cup final | Gordon himself missed the cup final |
| because he had just started art school at the Slade in London, but | because he had just started art school at the Slade in London, but |
| you can see how it would have fitted easily with his aesthetic. To | you can see how it would have fitted easily with his aesthetic. To |
| the wider public, he is best known for another football-themed | the wider public, he is best known for another football-themed |
| work, the film Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait, which he | work, the film Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait, which he |
| did with director Phillip Parreno in 2006. | did with director Phillip Parreno in 2006. |
| But even his earlier work was | But even his earlier work was |
| distinguished by a refusal to think of art purely as something that | distinguished by a refusal to think of art purely as something that |
| is done with a brush and a canvas in a studio. For 24 Hour Psycho, he | is done with a brush and a canvas in a studio. For 24 Hour Psycho, he |
| slowed down Alfred Hitchcock’s classic film so that it lasted 24 | slowed down Alfred Hitchcock’s classic film so that it lasted 24 |
| hours. When he won the Turner Prize in 1996, it was the first time | hours. When he won the Turner Prize in 1996, it was the first time |
| the judges awarded it an artist working predominantly in video. | the judges awarded it an artist working predominantly in video. |
| Recently, | Recently, |
| his works have increasingly included collaborations with other | his works have increasingly included collaborations with other |
| artists. K364, another film, portrays two Israeli musicians of Polish | artists. K364, another film, portrays two Israeli musicians of Polish |
| heritage travelling to Warsaw to play in an orchestral performance of | heritage travelling to Warsaw to play in an orchestral performance of |
| Mozart’s concerto. | Mozart’s concerto. |
| Other collaborations include actor James Franco, pianist Hélène | Other collaborations include actor James Franco, pianist Hélène |
| Grimaud, director John Tiffany and fashion designer Agnès B – a tendency, he says, inspired by his friend Parreno. “Philippe | Grimaud, director John Tiffany and fashion designer Agnès B – a tendency, he says, inspired by his friend Parreno. “Philippe |
| is the most promiscuous artist I know. I try, but I’m Scottish and | is the most promiscuous artist I know. I try, but I’m Scottish and |
| not really allowed to be promiscuous.” | not really allowed to be promiscuous.” |
| Does | Does |
| he ever worry that it could look like he has lost his focus and is | he ever worry that it could look like he has lost his focus and is |
| just doing projects with celebrity mates? “That | just doing projects with celebrity mates? “That |
| sounds like something my granny would say. When I was at Glasgow | sounds like something my granny would say. When I was at Glasgow |
| school of art, the great thing my teachers said was: never ever walk | school of art, the great thing my teachers said was: never ever walk |
| into a pigeonhole. The idea of art is to be as free as possible. I am | into a pigeonhole. The idea of art is to be as free as possible. I am |
| the least hippy person. I am an extremely hardcore dogmatic bastard, | the least hippy person. I am an extremely hardcore dogmatic bastard, |
| actually. But I retain the right to do whatever I want.” | actually. But I retain the right to do whatever I want.” |
| His contribution to this year’s Sydney | His contribution to this year’s Sydney |
| Biennale, Phantom, is a 2011 installation featuring two Steinway | Biennale, Phantom, is a 2011 installation featuring two Steinway |
| pianos, one of them burnt, plenty of mirrors, the music of Rufus | pianos, one of them burnt, plenty of mirrors, the music of Rufus |
| Wainwright and footage of the singer shot with a ultra-slow-motion | Wainwright and footage of the singer shot with a ultra-slow-motion |
| Phantom camera. | Phantom camera. |
| Phantom is in part also a tribute to | Phantom is in part also a tribute to |
| Berlin, where Gordon has since 2007 lived with his partner, the | Berlin, where Gordon has since 2007 lived with his partner, the |
| Israeli soprano Ruth Rosenfeld, and their five-year-old daughter. The | Israeli soprano Ruth Rosenfeld, and their five-year-old daughter. The |
| video footage was shot here, and Wainwright’s song is inspired by his | video footage was shot here, and Wainwright’s song is inspired by his |
| fascination with Louise Brooks, the US actress who made her significant | fascination with Louise Brooks, the US actress who made her significant |
| films, such as Pandora’s Box, in the German capital. | films, such as Pandora’s Box, in the German capital. |
| Gordon describes these mirrorings and | Gordon describes these mirrorings and |
| hidden links as a “phantastic situation”, the kind of which | hidden links as a “phantastic situation”, the kind of which |
| remain central to his work and which Berlin seems to attract in | remain central to his work and which Berlin seems to attract in |
| abundance. From the window of his first studio in the city, he says, | abundance. From the window of his first studio in the city, he says, |
| he could look into the courtyard of an old film studio where FW | he could look into the courtyard of an old film studio where FW |
| Murnau and Hans Richter had made their early films. “If I was stuck | Murnau and Hans Richter had made their early films. “If I was stuck |
| for anything I would stand by the window, look across, blow smoke and | for anything I would stand by the window, look across, blow smoke and |
| see if I could see a ghost.” | see if I could see a ghost.” |
| Preparations for the Biennale, where | Preparations for the Biennale, where |
| Gordon will hold the keynote speech, have been interrupted by | Gordon will hold the keynote speech, have been interrupted by |
| protests against the festival’s association with Transfield, the | protests against the festival’s association with Transfield, the |
| multi-billion-dollar infrastructure company in charge of running | multi-billion-dollar infrastructure company in charge of running |
| mandatory detention centres on the island of Nauru and Manus. Nine | mandatory detention centres on the island of Nauru and Manus. Nine |
| artists withdrew from the show, leading to the resignation of the Biennale chairman and Transfield Holdings director, Luca | artists withdrew from the show, leading to the resignation of the Biennale chairman and Transfield Holdings director, Luca |
| Belgiorno-Nettis, this month. | Belgiorno-Nettis, this month. |
| But Gordon, in spite of his love for | But Gordon, in spite of his love for |
| the red-card protests against Thatcher, views the boycotts | the red-card protests against Thatcher, views the boycotts |
| critically: “I don’t see any significant change that would have | critically: “I don’t see any significant change that would have |
| happened if we had all boycotted the event. You have to be somewhere | |
| in order to make change. If people want to use the Biennale as a | in order to make change. If people want to use the Biennale as a |
| platform to make a point, we need a stage.” | platform to make a point, we need a stage.” |
| He describes the treatment of refugees | He describes the treatment of refugees |
| in Nauru and Manus as “horrific” and says that as a Scot who has | in Nauru and Manus as “horrific” and says that as a Scot who has |
| spent a considerable amount of time in Belfast, he is particularly | spent a considerable amount of time in Belfast, he is particularly |
| alert to the legacy of English imperialism. But simply boycotting the | alert to the legacy of English imperialism. But simply boycotting the |
| event would not just have been ineffective, he argues, but also | event would not just have been ineffective, he argues, but also |
| “irresponsible”. | “irresponsible”. |
| “If you really want to make a case | “If you really want to make a case |
| for something, get your facts together, ask people how you want to | for something, get your facts together, ask people how you want to |
| marshall forces and do something. You can’t just say: ‘I don’t like | marshall forces and do something. You can’t just say: ‘I don’t like |
| this.’ Even the head of the board leaving has nothing to do with what | |
| the protest was about. People are still being ferried to Papua New | the protest was about. People are still being ferried to Papua New |
| Guinea. Nothing significant has changed there.” | Guinea. Nothing significant has changed there.” |
| He is aware of the expectations resting | He is aware of the expectations resting |
| on him ahead of the speech, and may consider inviting any protesters | on him ahead of the speech, and may consider inviting any protesters |
| to join him on the stage afterwards to continue the debate, though he | to join him on the stage afterwards to continue the debate, though he |
| admits that he is “fucking terrified” of the event. | admits that he is “fucking terrified” of the event. |
| Is it harder for an artists not to be | Is it harder for an artists not to be |
| political now than when it was when he first became successful in the ’90s? “I think we are political, but we’re not politicians. If you | political now than when it was when he first became successful in the ’90s? “I think we are political, but we’re not politicians. If you |
| believe in what you’re doing as an artist, that’s as democratic as it | believe in what you’re doing as an artist, that’s as democratic as it |
| gets for me.” | gets for me.” |
| What’s the most politically charged | What’s the most politically charged |
| artwork we know, Gordon asks, triggering the detour into the | artwork we know, Gordon asks, triggering the detour into the |
| Thatcher’s sending-off at Hampden Park. Ultimately, though, it | Thatcher’s sending-off at Hampden Park. Ultimately, though, it |
| doesn’t beat Pablo Picasso’s Guernica for him. “Guernica might even | doesn’t beat Pablo Picasso’s Guernica for him. “Guernica might even |
| not have seemed that relevant at the time when it was made, but it | not have seemed that relevant at the time when it was made, but it |
| grows and grows and grows. Politicians are meant to act now, but art | grows and grows and grows. Politicians are meant to act now, but art |
| takes time to mature.” | takes time to mature.” |