Jonny Bruce received a copy of “Modern Nature” as a gift from his mother when he was studying History of Art at Cambridge. Already deeply interested in horticulture Jarman’s garden provided a unique intersection between art, politics and horticulture and the garden at Prospect Cottage formed the subject for Jonny Bruce’s undergraduate thesis. After Derek’s death in 1994 the garden was cared for by his partner Keith Collins and in the last years of his life Jonny assisted him tending the garden. In this film Jonny explores the continued legacy of Derek’s garden and its guardianship.
This film was produced by Peter Kindersley, as part of a project funded by Art Fund to help us bring our Derek Jarman exhibition to life online.