Des Horsfield artist film maker

Many of you will have heard the sad news about Des Horsfield passing away on Saturday 25 January, after a long period of ill health. Des was born here in Brighton and in 1974 his talent as an artist took him to America and the University of Hartford, Connecticut. He eventually decided to go into commercial film making, at which he was very successful, with a great number of corporate and political clients. However, his film work was not all commercial and he was given an Emmy award for his work in the undercover filming of a Ku Klux Klan rally.

Despite his undoubted talents as an artist, Des only held one exhibition - although his work was available online. My understanding is that Des will be cremated and his ashes taken to his favourite places in New York, like Greenwich Village. Des should probably have had more recognition as an artist and it would be a sad irony if this were to happen after his death.

The below image is from Listen to London - the documentary he produced with Steve Sattler about the Post Punk Indy Rebellion.

A New Vision

Veterans’ organisations naturally focus on the experiences of those in the military. After all, its where the story began and where most of the drama occurs, but are they missing a trick? Veterans who are capable of putting on one show could probably put on another. They will be judged on the quality of the show not on their individual experiences. The popular view of people with disabilities whether veterans or not is mostly of human wreckage or vegetables in a wheelchair. Disability hate crime takes place because those carrying out the crimes perceive disabled people to be a burden on society and therefore, themselves. A show that is a success sends out ripples that challenge that view in the same way that the Paralympics does.

I put on a one women show called ‘Army Girl’ about the work done by women in covert units risking their lives by working undercover during the troubles in Northern Ireland. Every performance sold out and on the weekend it got two standing ovations. It then disappeared without trace. None of the six critics who said they would review the show turned up (although all six came to the next show at the same theatre). If they had turned up, the audience’s reaction would probably have been enough to get a positive review. So why didn’t they?

I think the most likely explanation is that they thought, ‘oh its just another army show.’ If a disabled veteran took up painting as a form of therapy, would anyone expect him to produce only canvases of tanks? Would we expect an actor only to play one character? Veterans’ organisations are doing a remarkable and very necessary job of rehabilitating former service men and women, but on this subject perhaps they need to be a bit ambitious and broaden their horizons. By the way, I am both an army veteran and disabled.