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An exhibition celebrating popular author Robert Rankin, who has persuaded thousands of fans across the globe to share his love of Brentford opens at Gunnersbury Park Museum on Saturday 28th July.Rankin, who writes comic fantasy novels involving time travel and aliens many of which are firmly set in Brentford, has been called “the father of far-fetched fiction”, and a “stark raving genius” and has been compared with Spike Milligan and Terry Pratchett.
Having grown up in South Ealing and gone to Ealing College of Art (with Freddie Mercury) Rankin then lived in Brentford (“my spiritual home”),where he tried a variety of jobs (41 in all, including market stall holder, rock singer and garden gnome salesman).
He soon realised that Brentford was a very special community, an oasis enclosed in “The Brentford Triangle” by the Great West Road, the Grand Union Canal and the Thames. It was the local people in this area who inspired him to write his most famous series of books, the Brentford Trilogy, which is firmly rooted in everyday Brentford, with landmarks we all recognise and characters who seem very familiar.
Through Rankin’s comic genius, however, the borough is transformed into a battleground between good and evil, a place where you may discover aliens by the Brentford Library and arch fiends in the Ealing Road. In his world time travel is common and the good people of Brentford are often visited by the likes of Sherlock Holmes, H.G. Wells, Marilyn Monroe and Barry the Sprout, while the Beatles play in Gunnersbury Park.
The exhibition will feature all the models which Rankin made for his book covers, as well as a collection of his illustrations, copybooks containing his first drafts, early poems, and copies of his books in a variety of editions and languages. For the devotees there is even Rankin’s electric blue suit and blue suede shoes.
For the local audience there will be photographs of local landmarks which Rankin has made famous and their official history contrasted with his “far-fetched” version.
The opening of the exhibition also marks the launch of Rankin’s latest book The Da Da De Da Da Code, which features rock music and Gunnersbury Park.
July 26, 2007
"Love your enemies just in case your friends turn out to be a bunch of bastards." - R. A. Dickson
posted July 29, 2007 14:28
posted August 04, 2007 12:02
