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C U R A T I O N
I have been curating and manifesting exhibitions and performances as a part of my artistic practice since I graduated with 1st Class Hons Fine Art in 1997 from Cumbria Collage of Art & Design. Leading to the creation of (TAO) The Art Organisation Ltd in 2001. Over the part 10 years the number of curated projects I have been involved in, exceeds the ability to place them all in connect. Therefore, I'll shull save you the need to trawl through all those shows, and let you know what I'm up to right now...
Consultant of Fine Art at John Moores University October 2007 - June 2008
Areas of expertise; Fine Art, Neo Public Art in Practice is the action of temporarily utilising disused or derelict urban space, from empty commercial buildings to fallow city spaces, like parks or car parks. Its aim is to produce artworks, exhibitions and performances within the public realm. Through interacting directly with their audiences, artists create new opportunities for themselves to show their work in buildings and on walls that would otherwise remain unseen or bare and highlight open-space, passed through apathetically by hundreds of us on a daily basis. Neo (new) public art is dependant on placing objects and situations directly into context with its environment on a temporary basis only. Moving away from the 200 year or more bronze statue, or marble figures (‘plus tasteful architectural fountain designed by distant highly regarded artist’ - Rozak) allowing artwork to be seen and experienced by people that may not make the choice to engage with ‘Art’, let alone consider going into a white walled gallery space. Not ruling out the beauty and benefits of permanent artworks, Neo Public Art is designed by its ephemeral nature to be seen in the timeframe that it exists by those who see it, and then it’s gone. The exhibition and its impermanency to places, focuses the importance on the manifestation of the work and its successful exposure to a new audience, whilst allowing for a more meta-conceptual approach and understanding of shared space.
Meta-Conceptualism; is the process of manifesting ones artwork beyond the singular concept of being an artist.
TAO Programme Highlight 2008
MelloMello jazz café, Boasting the finest coffee in town MelloMello is not just a hub or a meta-conceptual meeting place but will continue to host an unstructured, revolving programme of events, exhibitions and workshops based in and around TAO Liverpool HQ. These will include weekly live jazz from local and international musicians, impromptu theatre, poetry and dance performance and a relentless string of exhibitions from people across the world who dare to call themselves artists. 1 Feb to 30 March 2008 will kick off with ‘SK-INTERFACES’ (1 Feb to 30 March), an exhibition and project in conjunction with FACT which explores the role of skin as a technological interface. The multi-disciplinary presentation aims to reach audiences beyond the skin of the FACT building, making the most of the intrinsic worth of different TAO spaces. From 19th – 29th September, MelloMello will be the focal point for UNMADE, TAO’s unique ‘Non-dependant’ Biennial programme. Unmade is an un-curated and self-organized event where the content will be driven by its participants and defined during the course of the event. Making the most of the infrastructure developed by TAO across Liverpool and its international network of artists of all disciplines, UNMADE will provide a number of venues, uncovered for the occasion, presenting an alternative remix of artistic manifestations that truly explore the creative wealth inherent to the city.
JMU External Degree Show 2008 May 2008
Consultancy Proposal As I understand it, JMU is in the process of being transformed into a dramatically different and highly evolved, modernised institute for the Arts. With the brand new building complex scheduled for completion in 08 and the inevitable end to its current location on Hope St, and Myrtle St, a drastic and long awaited shift in thinking has to commence right now in order to successfully motivate and blend current JMU practises into a more innovative and modern approach towards contemporary art in practise. With that understanding it is my intention to facilitate a bridge between the tutors and their students, helping them to gain access to alternative spaces within the public sphere. By utilising the city as a canvas and moving student practice outside of the university environment for exhibitions and in some circumstances production, we will ultimately encourage the students to gain a far more practical understanding of art in practice and life after university. The overall aim is that by May 2008, the tutors and students have enabled the manifestation of an external degree show to take place within the dynamic parameters of Liverpool city centre. This will undoubtedly make JMU one of the most forward thinking artistic academies in the UK. Subsequently, this action will aim to amalgamate the new way of thinking and approaching the degree show, to the new building and its desired design of use.
Insh’allah
Image 'Great wave off Kanagawa' Steven Gent 2007 TAO’s flagship gallery will continue to host its exciting programme of high quality exhibitions from the best of both local and international artists in all media. A wide and diverse array of presentations take place at this central landmark location. The International Gallery offers opportunities to members of its global network of talented artists, seeking to motivate and inspire creation by the sharing and collective construction of ideas. The launch of its 2008 programme includes Sk-Interfaces, a multi-disciplinary collaboration with FACT that metaphorically explores the role of skin as a technological interface. British Chinese artist Kai-Oi Jay Yung will also investigate issues stemming from the cross-cultural and multi-national nature of Liverpool; her hybrid presentation will encourage creative expressions of all kinds that will grow into a multi-layered representation of the city (March). Coinciding with the Festival of Arabic arts (1st – 17th July), Insh’allah is a structured programme of exhibitions working beside ‘Safari’, an Arabic market offering affordable art for the British audience. Bringing together artists from Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan and Iraq at a time where politicians do all they can to make civilizations collide and confront, artists can, through the universality of their expression, provide the world with better alternative- dialogue, understanding and appreciation.
September 2008 LIVERPOOL BIENNIAL 2008 METAFEX
Number Two REEL EYES CoLECTIVE, TAO Liverpool’s underground theatre movement. Plus much much more to follow... |
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