Donald Rodney: Visceral Canker

Donald Rodney (b. 1961, West Bromwich; d. 1998, London) was a British artist. He was born to Jamaican parents, and grew up in Smethwick, on the outskirts of Birmingham. He studied Art Foundation at Bournville School of Art, Birmingham (1980–81); BA Fine Art at Trent Polytechnic in Nottingham (1981–85); and completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Multi-Media Fine Art at Slade School of Fine Art in London (1987). Rodney first gained visibility as a member of the BLK Art Group in the early 1980s, through a series of exhibitions titled The Pan-Afrikan Connection (1981–84). Rodney’s solo exhibitions include Reimagining Donald Rodney, Vivid Projects, Birmingham (2016); Donald Rodney – In Retrospect, iniva, London (2008); 9 Night in Eldorado, South London Gallery (1997); Cataract, Camerawork, London (1991); Critical, Rochdale Art Gallery (1990); Crisis, Chisenhale Gallery, London (1989); The First White Christmas & Other Empire Stories, Saltley Print and Media, Birmingham (1985); and The Atrocity Exhibition & Other Empire Stories, Black Art Gallery, London (1986). Rodney’s work is in the collections of Tate Gallery, London; Arts Council England; the British Council; the Government Art Collection; Museums Sheffield; the National Galleries of Wales; South London Gallery; Wolverhampton Art Gallery; and Birmingham City Art Gallery.

Alongside the exhibition, curator and writer Richard Birkett, author of Donald Rodney: Autoicon, will curate an accompanying programme of contemporary artist film. This programme will invite further discussion on the relevance and influence of Rodney today, particularly around the intersection of race, disability and technological systems.

There will also be an extensive display of archival materials that provide an illuminating context for the exhibition and Rodney’s approach. From his early days as a student at Trent Polytechnic in Nottingham, to his last solo exhibition at South London Gallery, the display encompasses a range of visual elements that document the rigorous often unconventional research methods that Rodney undertook to inform and develop his practice. The archive illuminates how his creative process was not only shaped by his experience of living with sickle cell anaemia, but also by his belief in collective working alongside his colleagues and friends. The archive also includes photographic documentation of the artist’s lost works, which offers further and invaluable insight into Rodney’s life and career.

Accompanying the exhibition at Whitechapel Gallery is a rich programme of talks and events exploring some of the key themes of the work as well as looking at Rodney’s legacy and ongoing relevance to contemporary culture. A comprehensive reader produced for the exhibition featuring contributions from the exhibition’s curators as well as scholars and artists including Celeste-Marie Bernier, Richard Birkett, Janice Cheddie, Alice Correia, Lubaina Himid, Virginia Nimarkoh, Gregory Salter, Maud Sulter and Diane Symons will be available.