Robinson in Space: And a Conversation With Patrick Wright

by Patrick Keiller

Robinson in Space is a visual, satirical record of a journey made by a fictional character called Robinson, narrated by his traveling companion and researcher, through the increasingly unknown space of present-day England. Robinson quotes Oscar "It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances. The true mystery of the world is the visible not the invisible. . ." His assumptions about economic failure, especially in manufacturing industry, are gradually challenged by the discovery of an industrial economy that employs few people but still generates most of the wealth of the fifth-largest economy in the world. Robinson in Space incorporates material from the award-winning film of the same name that was released just before the British 1997 General Election. The book juxtaposes the narrative and over 200 intriguing, strange-yet-familiar images from the film to take the reader on a fascinating journey through the landscapes of present-day England.

Genres: Film

256 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1999

About the author

Patrick Keiller is a filmmaker whose works include the celebrated London (1994), Robinson in Space (1997), The Dilapidated Dwelling (2000), and Robinson in Ruins (2010). He has devised large-scale installations including Londres, Bombay (Le Fresnoy, Tourcoing, 2006) and The Robinson Institute (Tate Britain, London, 2012), the latter accompanied by a book The Possibility of Life's Survival on the Planet. He was a Research Fellow at the Royal College of Art, London (2002–11), and has taught in schools of art and architecture since 1974.