Under the Shade I Flourish, 2015-16

Excerpt from Under the Shade I Flourish, HD film, 29 minutes 37 seconds, 2016

During the mid-1960s, “an unknown rhythm 'n' blues band”* called Trident were briefly managed by Michael Ashcroft; a controversial figure notable for “opaque tax practices” and “operating in the dark." Under the Shade I Flourish (2015-16) imagines that Ashcroft continued to manage Trident. By incorporating aspects his life into their narrative, Under the Shade I Flourish engages in the blurring of fact and fiction.

Trident become a vehicle to discuss the interconnected nature of Britain's colonial history, tax avoidance and soft power. Fictitious tours see them zigzag haphazardly between venues, mimicking financial graphs; song lyrics repurpose Latin mottos and tax terminology; and posters advertise performances in notorious centres of tax avoidance.

*Dirty Politics, Dirty Times, Michael Ashcroft, 2005

Press & Interviews:
White Devil, Episode 6: The Long Shadow, Campside Media, Hosted by Josh Dean, 27/05/2024

Under the Shade I Flourish; Installed at xero, kline & coma, London, Mar-Apr 2016

Film Credits:
Artist & Director: Chris Alton
Script: Chris Alton
Director of Photography: Ralph Pritchard
Editor: Ralph Pritchard
Music: Eli Carvajal, Noa Carvajal & Louis Cherniavsky
Actors: Eli Carvajal, Noa Carvajal, Louis Cherniavsky, Terry Humphrey, FloraMay Waterhouse, Giles Dawson, Imran Tyabji

With thanks to:
Rachel Hill
Giles Bunch
Ellie Wyatt
Wysing Arts Centre
The Leverhulme Trust
Pil & Galia Kollectiv (xero, kline & coma)
Rice + Toye
Resonance FM
Lewisham Arthouse