The English artist Ben Rivers has never forgotten a book he read as a teenager—After London, published in 1885 and written by the naturalist Richard Jeffries. One of the first apocalyptic novels, it imagines what happens in nature when mankind goes missing. Rivers, who is known for films that blur the line between documentary and fiction, is now working on his first entirely fictional film, also called After London. Based “very loosely” on Jeffries’s book, it follows a young woman’s trek across a post-apocalyptic England. The process of researching, casting, writing, storyboarding, and shooting the still-in-progress film is on view as the third—and final—installment of Jeu de Paume’s “Work in Progress” series. Rivers’s preparatory work and rough cuts are on view, offering insight into the process of movie making. — J.D.
The Arts Intel Report
A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler
For the World Traveler
A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler
Works in Progress
When
Sept 14, 2021 – Feb 13, 2022
Where
Etc
Ben Rivers, “After London (Fax Me),” 2016 © Courtesy of Ben Rivers and Kate MacGarry Gallery.