Matt Golden | Golden Family : Thirty-Three Revolutions
Pi Artworks is delighted to present Matt Golden /Golden Family’s third exhibition ‘Thirty-Three Revolutions’. Deftly extemporising on folkloric themes, emotional astronomies, and musical anthropology, the show is both a heartfelt response to a recent family bereavement, and an ode to their new rural life.
Thirty-Three Revolutions brings together two distinct bodies of work. Constellations: a series of photographs capturing high-jumpers in mid-air, wherein each image is aesthetically and poetically coupled with a constellation. Thirty-Three Revolutions: a collection of vintage marching-drums and their mechanical appendages are poignantly assembled into a procession of anthropomorphised musicians.
Both works are inspired by the family’s relocation from London to rural England where life’s contrasts can be more keenly felt. Within this new environment they often share ‘family night walks’ and now away from London’s soupy night skies, their new star-gazing routine has become a bountiful and bonding experience (Constellations).
Folklore and tradition have also come into focus; the history of music for the community, marching bands, folk ‘jams’ in local pubs (Thirty-Three Revolutions). In addition there are two drum kits, bequeathed by the artist’s late father, parts of which thoughtfully join the motley parade.
The identity and nature of these marching figures is not immediately evident. What is their plight? To where are they marching? Each member has an individual emotion, yet what is it that brings them all together? Why do they pound their drums? A collective ‘heartbeat’ perhaps? A silent revolution? Could it be a farewell procession to celebrate the passing of a loved one?
A further stand-alone piece is a collaboration between the artists and the author Samuel Fisher. In a creative correspondence between the two, Fisher has supplied poetic responses to each work. Subsequently, these words have been scorched into the skin of a folk drum. The work plays upon the history of the ‘Riddle drum’ (villagers would repurpose agricultural riddle sieves to make impromptu frame drums; ubiquitous in the folk music of the day). Instead of burning holes in the goat skin to separate the wheat from the chaff, the artists have singed Fisher’s very words through the hide, allowing his insightful responses and focused prose to shine through.
Samuel Fisher is a writer, bookseller and publisher. His first novel, The Chameleon, won a Betty Trask Prize and was longlisted for the Desmond Elliot Prize. His second novel, Wivenhoe, was shortlisted for the New Angles Prize. His latest novel, Migraine, will be published in July 2025.
Finally there will be a musical performance by Golden Family (date to be announced). Borrowing the physical drums from their work Thirty-Three Revolutions, Golden Family’s band (comprising family members and the artist’s alter-ego Juan Carlode) will be performing bespoke compositions written for the exhibition.
