Artwork
A Fall of Ordinariness and Light: The Scheme
A Fall of Ordinariness and Light: The Scheme is a drawing by Jessie Brennan. It dates from 2014 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
It’s part of a set of four graphite works about Robin Hood Gardens, a housing estate in London.
This is a drawing from 2014 by Jessie Brennan. It’s part of a set of four graphite works about Robin Hood Gardens, a housing estate in London. The drawing’s subtitle comes from official demolition papers.
Brennan made these drawings using playful methods that mix fact with imagination. They focus on how the building’s demolition will physically change the site.
See more of Jessie Brennan’s work at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Overview
A Fall of Ordinariness and Light is a 2014 series of four graphite drawings by Jessie Brennan, responding to the scheduled demolition of Robin Hood Gardens, a 1966-72 housing estate designed by Alison and Peter Smithson.
Subject & Meaning
The series critiques the demolition through subtle, detailed renderings, highlighting the human impact of bureaucratic decisions on inhabited spaces, a common theme in Brennan's work exploring sites of societal contradiction.
Technique & Style
Brennan employed 'playful processes' blending fact and imagination, characterized by meticulous graphite techniques that evoke a sense of elegy, reminiscent of vanitas and memento mori traditions.
History & Provenance
Created in 2014, the drawings' subtitles are derived from the 2013 Compulsory Purchase Order by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, with works held in collections such as the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Context
The artwork is situated within the broader context of London's urban redevelopment policies of the 2010s, reflecting on the intersection of architectural heritage, bureaucratic authority, and community displacement.
Legacy
While the specific legacy of 'A Fall of Ordinariness and Light' is not broadly documented, it contributes to a discourse on the emotional and physical impacts of urban renewal, aligning with broader artistic explorations of place and memory.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jessie Brennan’s 2014 drawings trace everyday scenes in a housing estate where light and ordinariness mix.
