This new biography of Derek Jarman discusses the entire range of his works and provides a picture of the whole man, from childhood to his untimely death in 1994. For the first time it properly integrates his paintings and writings with his film, demonstrating the strong connections between his varied areas of artistic production. Michael Charlesworth employs and assesses film criticism, art history, garden and nature writing, critical analysis of poetry and the personal opinions of Jarman and his friends.
Fresh in its conclusions, engaging in style, Derek Jarman is accessible, thought-provoking, radical in its arguments and its tracing of the patterns of Jarman’s phenomenal creativity. An invaluable complement to Jarman’s works, this book will interest all Jarman fans as well as readers interested in the history of film, the arts and modern British history and culture.