Commissioned by Channel 4 TV, Cumbrae Clyde was one of the “Dadarama” series of six works. In the 4th Century B.C. Plato, as the first artists, after the invention of the Greek alphabet, to understand precisely the limiting conditions of his medium, declared a State of Division on which no improvement has been made since. It amounts to a specification for the Divided State Scociety, the end result of which is only too clearly visible in the international condition one looks at today. The isle of Cumbrae, site of an oil terminal is juxtaposed with Clydeside where massive cranes now lie inanimate, monuments if you will, to the Divided State. The space between holds the spirit of those many families whose futures were arrested, just like the cranes. JL 1984

‘Announcement of the transmission of John Latham’s Video works for Channel Four television’, Annalogue, 1990. pdf here

Riverside Studios ‘Dadarama & Ian Breakwell’s Diaries’ – Artists’ works for Channel 4 Television, 1985. Featuring Target pieces by John Latham. pdf here