The History of the World
1997-2004
Painting, Dimensions variable .
Materials: Acrylic paint on wall
Collection: Courtesy of the artist and The Modern Institute/Toby Webster Ltd, Glasgow .
Deller’s work History of the World, 1996, is based on a diagram the artist made drawing links between acid house and brass band music. Deeply subjective, the diagram visualises his thought-processes on the conditions of the rave era, making links between music, emotions, events and the socio-economic conditions of recession-era post-industrial society that the stories of both rave and brass bands are related to. History of the World also led to his renowned word Acid Brass, 1997, a live event in which a brass band performs a repertoire of acid house classics selected by the artist. The diagram is typically reproduced as a wall mural for exhibitions.
