(Above) Marcus Coates, Journey to the Lower World. Image: The artist and Workplace Gallery
Exhibition: Journey to the Lower World, Marcus Coates, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, until early 2011
It's hard to tell whether the concerned residents of Sheil Park, a block of council flats scheduled for demolition on the outskirts of Liverpool, would have been comforted by the doyen of British artistic eccentricity ushering them into a room on the 20th floor and performing a shamanistic ritual in which he dons a reindeer outfit, falls into a trance and awakens to strut around the room making convincing animal noises to the soundtrack of a portable CD player.
On the other hand, it's all about their reaction – through his journeys across the world, Coates has made the comedy documentary BBC executives would kill for, weirding out Israeli mayors with magic and persuading mere mortals to replicate the chaffinches and starlings of the dawn chorus.
Image © the artist
In an interview with Culture24, he told us that humour was a "totally undeliberate" result of his quest. You might struggle to contain a snort as he dances around eight bemused Scousers dressed in a deer skin before emerging with an answer to their worries beamed to him by a mystical sparrowhawk, but the moments when his work becomes something more important arrive when gruff sceptics – and Coates admits to being one of those himself – are momentarily incapable of hiding belief, certain that their protagonist is mad but persuaded to take a leap of faith, driven by his unwavering conviction.
"Journey to the Lower World is a touching, funny and fascinating film," says Ann Bukantas, the Head of Fine Art at the Walker, which brings the film back to Liverpool after a recent sojourn to Milton Keynes Gallery.
"We are delighted that a key work by an artist of his calibre and originality is joining the collection."
If that makes this inimitably odd, brilliant piece sound somewhat pacified, the response it draws will undoubtedly cement Coates' reputation for raising eyebrows.
Journey to the Lower World is one of three exhibitions at the gallery during the Liverpool Biennial (also John Moores Painting Prize and Wolfgang Tillmans), September 17 – November 28 2010. Visit the exhibitions page for full details.
Marcus Coates discusses his work at the gallery on October 27 2010, 1pm. Call 0151 478 4697 to book.
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