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Heaven in a wildflower
ANGUS REID speaks to Angus Farquhar about the political roots of his work with communities from the 1980s to the present day, and why he is inviting everyone to plant seeds in Glasgow Necropolis
Farquhar

SINCE the early 1980s and Test Dept, Angus Farquhar’s work has been founded in collective action, and large-scale community projects. What is it that makes people act collectively?

“There has to be a good idea,” he replies. “It has to be something that sparks each person individually, so that they can give of themselves without losing part of themselves.”

The work started in protest against Thatcher. “But,” says Farquhar, “we were always on the losing side, in solidarity with the miners’ strike, the ambulance workers’ strike, the print workers’ strike. I was very involved with those at the time. It was very black and white.”

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