Discovery of Rare Outsider Art Environment in LondonStars join campaign to save unique home of pensioner Jarvis Cocker, former Tate Director Sir Nicholas Serota and leading artist Richard Wentworth are among leading figures backing a campaign to save Gerry Dalton’s home. The 83-year old pensioner spent years building intricate replicas of Buckingham Palace, Hampton Court Palace and St Paul’s Cathedral inside his home and sculptures of historical figures in his garden. When he died in September 2019, Gerry Dalton left behind around 200 concrete sculptures, 170 wall mounted works and a 50-metre long mural in the garden of his house on the edge of the Grand Union Canal. It is a melting pot of royal and popular history and a monument to the creative and unassuming genius of Gerry Dalton (b Athone, Ireland 1935 - d. London 2019). He migrated from rural southern Ireland to London in his early twenties and retired after a long working life as a parcel porter and factory worker. He never identified as an artist, but rather as a gardener and was a famously shy man and apart from his close friends and immediate community, his project remained a secret for thirty years. Housing Associateion which owns the property will reclaim the property by 31 October 2019 but supporters of the campaign are requesting a stay of execution in order to be given time to preserve this local, and national treasure. The campaign is seeking to find a viable solution that considers the responsibilities of social housing and secures a lasting future for Gerry Dalton’s remarkable legacy. Freelance curator Sasha Galitzine, the current custodian of the property and friend of Gerry Dalton is the driving force behind this project and is supported by a wide network of creatives, historians and locals in the pursuit of protecting the future of the house. Gerry Dalton’s house: 34 Hormead Road, W9 3NQ Media Enquiries: Sasha Galitzine @GerrysPompeii +447752602691 on all social media Raw Vision adds: The Watford Shell Garden was completely cleared by the local housing authority within a few weeks of the creators' death and Billy Morey's sculptural environment in Borehamwood Herts was also demolished by the local housing association soon after he had to move out. Unfortunately our country has had a very poor record in honouring or preserving these unique creations. In the USA there are foundations that act quickly to preserve such places and in France, Germany, Switzerland etc there have been support and preservation programmes carried out by local authorities and cultural bodies. So far in this country not a single visionary environment has survived the death of its creator and this is most likely the final chance we have. Gerry Dalton's environment is an extraordinary find and everything should be done to preserve it for posterity. It is an extremely rare discovery and a stunning example of outsider art - a lifetime of artistic creation made for the artist's own satisfaction and enjoyment with no thought of profit or fame. As a self-taught artist Gerry Dalton developed his own unique vision and over many years built up a singular and personal world. This is probably the last chance we have of preserving such an environment in Britain as they are rarely built and even more rarely preserved. A full feature about Gerry Dalton's environment will be appearing in Raw Vision 104, out in December. |