Jane Frere - the art of protest

The Art of Protest 2008 to 2020 Motto: Adversity is to be utilized

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Return of the Soul, The Nakbah project. To commemorate 60 years of the Palestinian “catastrophe” 1948 - 2008. It began with a single wax figure. It resulted in the creation of 7,000 wax figures through a series of workshops in the Occupied Territories of Palestine and beyond

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I lived with families in refugee camps in the West bank, Jordan and Lebanon gathering testimonies from 1948 witnesses

The stories often harrowing, I became known as the “tear collector “

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Typical refugee camp conditions - power cuts, sewage and rats

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Workshops: East Jerusalem -Drawing and anatomy / Palestinian costume 1920 - 1940’s

Theatre techniques used to study body language and emotion -workshops Lebanon

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• Bedawi refugee camp - North Lebanon

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I photographed Palestinian refugees from Nahr al Bared living in UNRWA schools in nearby camp Bedawi, after N a B was virtually demolished by the Lebanese army in 2007. I was smuggled into the destroyed camp to take photographs, I considered it to be another “Nakbah� in the perpetual cycle of Nakbahs for many Palestinians

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Following the workshop programme in Lebanon, I returned to Jerusalem for the final preparation of Return of the Soul, to commemorate the 60th year of The Nakbah, May 15th 2008

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Preparing wax figures for hanging

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• Hanging preparation in Patriot Hall for Edinburg Art Festival 2008

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Double page spread in Guardian newspaper

The Media

“The artist is only an enabler, an inspired enabler, certainly; nevertheless her own point of view is not what matters, only the truth of the stories enshrined in this remarkable work.” ***** Duncan Macmillan, The Scotsman “This remarkable installation....transcends both the political and the humanitarian to something more elemental and paradoxical………....this admirable exhibition sheds light on a little known terrorisation programme that must not be repeated.” **** Paul Dale, The List …The festival event, billed as a “major examination of the Middle East”, features Dr Pappé alongside Raja Shehadeh, a Palestinian writer, and the artist Jane Frere. Ms Frere's work, which is being shown at the Patriot Hall gallery, is drawn from her experience in refugee camps, where she has spent most of the past nine months……..in the Lebanon, the West Bank and Jordan, She said that it did not take a political stance and was “very humanitarian and deeply spiritual”.

“The exhibition.....has a tremendous impact on the observer not least because of the reality behind each model. One of the most dramatic and worthwhile exhibitions of the Edinburgh Festival this year.”

Aberdeen Press and Journal “Scottish artist Jane Frere will present perhaps one of the most thought provoking exhibitions of the Edinburgh Art Festival.”

Nancy Katz, The Skinny “One of the most controversial shows is likely to be Jane Frere's exhibition at the Patriothall Gallery, where the artist's inspiration is drawn from her experiences in refugee camps in Jordan, the Lebanon and on the West Bank.”

Mike Wade, The Times “It is compelling art work that Frere achieved with aplomb.”

Ica Wahbeh, Jordan Times “A metaphor for dispossession that works. ‘Return of the Soul’ manages to avoid the pitfalls that frequently flavour artistic renditions of the Palestinian condition.”

Jim Quilty, Daily Star, Beirut Television and radio coverage includes Al Jazeera (pictured above in East Jerusalem), BBC Arabic Service, numerous local stations in the region and the US-based Radio Intifada.

“The artist is only an enabler, an inspired enabler, certainly; nevertheless her own point of view is not what matters, only the truth of the stories enshrined in this remarkable work.� ***** Duncan Macmillan, The Scotsman

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Al Jana Association, Shams Theatre, Beirut, 2008

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xtSketch for stage design “Go to Gaza, Drink the Sea” Theatre as a means of protest Theatro Technis, London 2009

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In the Shadow of the Wall Living behind the segregation wall in the ghost suburb of Ar Ram, with the daily crossing through check points into different areas of confinement, I understood the overwhelming sense of anxiety that goes with claustrophobia and incarceration. The psychological aspect of this remained in my work long after my return to the UK. The second part of my Palestinian trilogy investigates aspects of the wall both as a metaphorical entity and architectural structure with it’s inevitable emotional impact on all living behind it.

In 2009 I revisited the West bank on a research trip to interview people living within its shadow, to photograph and to observe in detail for further art works.

Texturally with its constantly changing surface of graffiti, peeling posters and weathered images I found a comparison to the layering of a palimpsest.

Conceptually and stylistically this influenced much of my painting.

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Little Terrorist Following interviews with youngsters who had been imprisoned without legal representation and had been tortured and incarcerated in solitary confinement under brutal conditions, I realised that the occupiers were building a dysfunctional generation that would inevitably harbour hatred and Text revenge, a potential that could lead towards violent resistance

What is the colour of a Silent Scream ?

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Collograph print

Little Terrorist “ What is the colour of a silent scream ? “

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tCheckpoint

Birth

Series of paintings dealing with women, not permitted to pass through checkpoints were forced to give birth putting both mother and baby’s life at risk

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Checkpoint birth Madonna and Child

In 2006 a Palestinian woman was forced to give birth at the Bethlehem checkpoint.

The painting refers to a contemporary version of the Christmas carol “Oh Little Town of bethlehem�

Acrylic and mixed media , 1metre x 1 metre

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Sketchbook studies Te

“What is the colour of betrayal” ?

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What is the colour of occupation ?

Exhibitions: Testbed1- A Few Friends curated by Will Alsop 2011. La Scatola Galley, London 2011

Tryptych - 3 metres x 2 metres Acylic and enamel paint

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Mock up model using cd’s for the void installation of multiple falling figures new project for 2013 , I was invited by architect Will Alsop RA to install the installation in a disused lift shaft in Testbed1, Battersea , London

“who is a God like you ?” dedicated to the ………Palestinian refugees from 1948 fleeing Syria

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Will Alsop’s Testbed1 was under threat by developers. Protestbed - was a humorous, virtual social media experiment in the art of protest !

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pTbCATs A sort of selfie prop that travelled with people around the world for fun, but sometimes for protest too, it depended on its handler !

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The Doodlebar in Testbed1 had an 11 metre black wall for “doodling”.Working with Bahraini exiles I decided to create a massive drawing of protesters with messages in Arabic, this was the beginning of my “protest black wall”pastel works used for campaigns. The event was filmed by BBC Arabic and seen by many of the prisoners

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I painted my studio wall black in the Highlands and continued to work with Bahraini prisoners posting images on social media with messages sent via family members Scale: 4mtre x 3mtr Medium: pastel and chalk

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I was invited by the late Lord Avebury to give a short talk in the House of Lords about art as a means of protest. Jeremy Corbyn was not yet leader of the Labour party!

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Other protests used on social media followed : Scottish Referendum 2014

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Protestmask Project -Summerhall - Edinburgh 2017 on permanent display Exploring the connection between the TRUMP vote and BREXIT vote via abuse of social media data mining / Facebook, Cambridge Analytica etc

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As part of the Summerhall wall installation “Pink Pussy Protest - Pussy grabs back!� a condemnation against the rise of Trump!

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In 2017 I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I decided once again to turn adversity into an art project, I used my black wall as visual blog and via social media I would post images created in my studio with #breastcancerawareness #saveourNHS etc

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EXIT- 100 Days of Khaos - solo exhibition, Summerhall, Edinburgh 2019. Chronicling the first 100 day countdown to Brexit 29th March through various art forms, pastel, masks, moquettes, animation and sound

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“Pity the Nation” pastel on wood panels 7mtr x 1.80cm

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“D-iagnosis" campaign image commissioned by dementia charity Arts4Dementia,first used in an opening seminar at Tate exchange jan 2020

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