biography
I am a practicing artist with many years experience of making and, teaching art. I have exhibited extensively in the North West well as well as wider locations.. I have been an integral member of two central studio groups , and have run projects for various groups and external agencies, and this has run concurrent with my role as a university lecturer.
I have been a lecturer on the Visual Arts BA hons Contemporary Fine Art degree course at the University of Salford since 2003 and have taught continuously over this period including eighteen months as Visual Arts Area Leader in the level 0 [foundation] year, as well as teaching on the MA programme in its formative years. Additionally, I have been given particular responsibilities in the support of students with various and special needs. I have taught across all levels, but primarily my role has been as a level one tutor. I maintained close contact with students, delivered lectures,have run a wide variety of workshops and field trips and supported all aspects of delivering the programme.
My focus currently is on my own practice and this always involves writing about the process of making. After almost twelve years of university teaching, it is now my aim to extend my teaching knowledge to reach a wider audience. I am teaching Contemporary Fine Art courses from my home/studio for groups as well as individual tuition. My newest project “Drawing Out’ comprises a series of art courses accessible to all levels.
My practice is based in painting, drawing, text and collage; although collage encompasses all of the others and references a process of making. Essentially, this is a playing with the repositioning of images and ideas to allow often unexpected and humorous meanings to occur.
My work is underpinned with long standing themes, and this is an exploration of the relationship between measured and immeasurable aspects of existence, notions of nothingness and arbitrary beginnings and endings of things.
It is a crucial element of my practice, that the thinking and making process is exposed within the work, and many exhibitions have included live painting and drawing performances or audience participation in order to underpin this aspect of the work. The piece entitled 500 Drawings on Paper enforces this idea. In this, the whole piece becomes an explanation of itself, why it is typical and identical to the process of collage, and how I justify it as a work of art and a drawing at that.
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I am indebted to my friend and colleague Joey Collins for his sensitivity, trusted judgement and tremendous care in the selection and presentation of my work.
View my cv here.
Public Art Exhibitions and Events
2014 ‘Beds’ Exhibition. Fold Group. Castlefield Gallery Space
2010 Equality and Diversity Event and Exhibition at University of Salford [Commission for art project]
2009 Drawing as Poetry Exhibition. Cube Gallery, Manchester and other venues.
2009 Exhibition of sketchbooks. University of Mascerata, Italy.
2008 Exhibition of architecture collages. The Harris Museum, Preston
2007 'I Like you Looking at me'. Solo show. Interactive exhibition. The Chapman Gallery. Salford. [Art Exhibition Recommended by the Guardian].
2006 Leftfield Publishing Co. Opening of Website. Exhibition of Prints. Cube Gallery, Manchester.
2005 Solo Show. Chapman Gallery. Salford.
2005 'Presentation'- Live and interactive painting performance - University of Salford.
2005 'Performance'. Live painting performance. University of Salford.
2005 'The Big Draw' Exhibition and Workshop for Artists and Education. Victoria Baths Manchester and University of Salford.
2004 Exhibition of prints. Leftfield Fine Art Publishing. The Borland Gallery. University of Salford.
2003 Open Studios. Cow Lane Studios. Salford.
2002 Opening Exhibition. Greon Art Gallery Manchester.
2002 'Collaboration' Live painting performance. Newton Street Studios. Manchester. 'Climate' Newton Street Studios. Group - Manchester.
2002 'Consequences' Three Women show. Salford Museum and Art Gallery.
2001 'Shh' Exhibition [group] Islington Mill – Salford.
2001 'Shush' Exhibition [group]. Live painting performance. Newton Street Studios.
2001 'Show' Exhibition [group]. Newton Street Studios.
2000 'Chapel Street Open'. Live painting performance.
1999 Exhibition [group]. Newton Street Studios – Manchester.
1998 'Document' Adelphi Library University of Salford.
1998 'Frontiers' Opening Exhibition. Hourglass Studio Gallery. Hebden Bridge.