Currently showing at the Isis Gallery in Islington is Jamie Reid’s Ragged Kingdom, which runs till the end of July. An installation housed in themed tipis, which opened with a display by Navajo dancer Dennis Lee Rogers, it covers far more than the Sex Pistols’ graphics for which Reid remains most famous.
Themed as a ‘peace camp’ in an urban setting, the eight tipis, each custom-made, feature magickal as well as late 20th century iconic symbols, contents ranging from an antique printing press to a bed (with a fetching ‘Fuck Forever’ duvet). Each relates to some of the artist’s preoccupations since his anti-career began in the sixties; alongside the Sex Pistols, there are exhibits themed on Suburban Press, the insurrectionist magazine he co-founded, as well as ‘The Cat Book’, ‘A Festival of Sleeves’ and ‘Afrocelt Sound System’. You can draw your own conclusions to how it connects together and to the parent artist – the exhibits deliberately lack annotation. The Isis Gallery also has a giant montage of Reid’s posters, handbills, glyphs and symbols to announce its presence to passers-by (not that there will be many given the semi-industrial location). It’s Reid’s first full-scale installation in London for 30 years and well worth the detour.
Isis Gallery at London-Newcastle Depot, 1-3 Wenlock Road, London N1 7SL to July 30th 2011. Gallery open Noon-6pm Tuesday to Saturday
