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Jeremy Deller: 'It is what it is.'

Jeremy Deller: 'It is what it is.'

From the imperialistic history paintings of the nineteenth century to solemn and harrowing renderings of the First World War, many artists have created emotionally charged artworks in response to war. Over the course of the last century, conceptions of 'war' and 'art' have shifted dramatically, raising questions about the best way to express the intensity of conflict and what it is to fight.

Artist Jeremy Deller discusses his fascination with war as an artistic subject, and considers the social and political ramifications when artists depict conflict. Reflecting on the tradition of history paintings, Deller proposes that his own large-scale, collaborative works like The Battle of Orgreave (2001), It Is What It Is (2009) and We're Here Because We're Here (2016) are like 'public inquiries', creating 'living memorials for the dead'.

Time Period:

21st century