Derek Jarman’s Black Paintings: When Tar and Dreams Collided on the Kentish Coast

Picture this: It’s a balmy summer day in 1989, and two blokes are cackling like schoolboys as they splash hot tar around a garden in Dungeness. One’s the legendary Derek Jarman, the other’s his mate David, and they’re about to create something properly magical. Having visited Prospect Cottage myself last autumn, I can tell you – there’s still something utterly bewitching about the place where these remarkable Black Paintings were born.

The Mad Scientists of Dungeness

When David rocked up to Prospect Cottage with an enormous block of pitch that summer, little did anyone know they were about to witness the birth of some of British art’s most enigmatic works. The scene reads like something from a fever dream – two grown men melting tar in old tin cans over a bonfire, then racing about like kids on a sugar rush, grabbing everything from prayer books to model planes to create their twisted treasures.

The process was brilliantly bonkers – and isn’t that just peak Jarman? He transformed everyday tat into pure gold, or in this case, “shining jet.” The way he described it in his journals, you can almost hear the childlike glee in his voice as the hot tar “splashed everywhere.” Remember when you’d get told off for making a mess as a kid? Well, here was Jarman, turning it into high art.

From Seaside Surgery to Gallery Gold

These aren’t your nan’s pretty watercolours – they’re proper dark stuff, literally and figuratively. Jarman and David went full mad scientist, “tarring and feathering” objects like they were conducting some kind of artistic surgery. Bullets, crucifixes, telephones – all got the tar treatment, emerging as something entirely new and deeply unsettling.

Fast forward to 2025, and these haunting pieces are stopping viewers in their tracks at the Amanda Wilkinson Gallery. Standing before them now, you can’t help but feel the raw energy of that mad summer day. They’re a far cry from the polished Instagram art we’re used to nowadays, aren’t they?

The Secret Garden of Dungeness

The setting itself was pure magic – Prospect Cottage, perched on the shingle at Dungeness, might as well be on another planet. It’s a landscape that would make Mars feel homey, all pebbles and nuclear power stations and endless sky. The garden Jarman created there still stands, a defiant burst of life in the desert.

I reckon there’s something quite fitting about these dark works emerging from such a stark place. As one visitor to the current exhibition put it to me, “It’s like he bottled the weird energy of Dungeness and poured it straight onto the canvas.”

FAQ: Your Black Paintings Questions Answered

Why are they called the Black Paintings?

Besides the obvious use of black tar, these works represent a particularly dark and experimental period in Jarman’s artistic journey. Created in 1989, they embrace both the literal and metaphorical darkness of their materials and themes.

Can you visit Prospect Cottage today?

Yes! Thanks to a massive fundraising campaign, Prospect Cottage is preserved and managed by Creative Folkestone. While the interior isn’t open to the public, you can visit the garden and exterior – just don’t expect to find any tar-splattered evidence of the Black Paintings’ creation!

Where can I see the Black Paintings now?

The works are currently on display at the Amanda Wilkinson Gallery in London. The exhibition runs through autumn 2025, offering a rare chance to see these mysterious pieces in person.

The Legacy Lives On

Looking at these works in 2025, they feel more relevant than ever. In our squeaky-clean digital age, there’s something properly refreshing about art that’s not afraid to get its hands dirty. Jarman’s Black Paintings remind us that sometimes the best art comes from simply mucking about with your mates and a tin of tar.

Fancy seeing a bit of artistic alchemy for yourself? Get down to the Amanda Wilkinson Gallery and prepare to be properly spooked. Just don’t get any ideas about recreating the process at home – your mum wouldn’t be best pleased with tar all over the patio!