SATIRE WORKS HARDER: 
                 Gorilla Tapes and the Politics of Communication 

Curated By Jade Smith  

This hybrid (online/offline) exhibition explores how the artist collective Gorilla Tapes [Tim Morrison, Jon Dovey, Gavin Hodge, and Jean McClements] used satire as a sharp tool of political critique in the 1980s. Formed in London in 1984 Gorilla Tapes became operated as part of the Scratch Video movement of the time, characterised by the use of found footage, fast cutting, and multi-layered rhythms. Gorilla Tapes’ video works were fast-paced, irreverent, and deeply political. Through a rapid-fire approach to editing, they demonstrate how comedy can serve as a serious tool for critique, particularly when confronting systems of power. 

The exhibition focuses on three major works alongside archival material related to both the making and the reception of these works, all selected from the REWIND collection, a unique archive of early Video Art at DJCAD. Death Valley Days (1984) is a scathing collage of American politics and pop spectacle; Zygosis (1987), a photomontage-driven reflection on East Berlin and the pioneering work of John Heartfield; and To Death Till Apartheid (1985), a rare BBC broadcast critiquing media complicity during apartheid [in South Africa]. Each piece uses satire to reframe familiar media and provoke critical reflection. Alongside the historic artworks the exhibition features a new interview conducted remotely with all four members of Gorilla Tapes during the exhibition’s preparation. The artists’ reflections offering insight into their collective practice and political motivations, and the continued relevance of Tim Morrison, Jon Dovey, Gavin Hodge, and Jean McClements, in their work today.  

This exhibition was developed during a 10-weeks placement at the Media Archive collection. My choice of focusing on the Gorilla Tapes Archives reflects my ongoing curatorial interest in how humour in contemporary art functions as a tactical form of communication and what techniques do artist use to subvert mainstream media.