Art & Design

For over 20 years, I have given talks at some of the most remarkable art schools in the world and art remains a central thread in much of what I write about. On this page, I’ll assemble reactions to artistic work and consider how art helps us lead a better life.

I create

Creative practice has always been central to my work and I regard there to be similar intellectual processes that arise through the common pursuit of ideas, whether they are through philosophical reasoning or creative exploration.

Among my contemporaries are prominent bioartists like Stelarc (pictured here) and my work found its way closer to media artists who have naturally been inclined to explore new technologies of creative expression.

In the beginning…

My artistic interests were present from very early on in my childhood. As an adult, philosophy was my route back to art and I find insights in many artistic practices, from music to bioart.

"Creativity is at the heart of my approach to idea development and problem resolutions"

Over time, my relationship to art has evolved. Over the years, I have found myself occupying curatorial roles in art science programmes within science festivals. I have also worked as the creative lead on projects dealing with the material of science as a communication device.

I have also found myself making short films, while retaining a core interest in photography. I am passionate about the documentary form.

My early work on posthumanism attracted the interest of art schools around the world and I found myself giving lectures on this subject for over a decade, including a Visiting Professorship role at the Royal College of Art for its MA in Design Interactions for over a decade.

In 2008, I became a fellow with the Foundation for Art and Creative Technology (FACT) in Liverpool, during its 'Human Futures' year and edited one of their most ambitious publications, called Human Futures: Art in an Age of Uncertainty.

I then became closely intwined with one of its offshoots, Abandon Normal Devices, which I supported for many years and was part of the community that developed its intellectual journey in its early years.

Through these links, I have been involved with a range of other artist initiatives and communities. I was on the Executive Committee for the International Symposium on Electronic Arts in Belfast during 2009 and Co-Chair of the Media Art Histories conference in Liverpool during 2011. I'm also a member of the Technical Committee for the Cultural Utilization of Outer Space, part of the International Astronautical Federation.

Together, all of these relationships inform and are informed by my interest in how science and technology are changing what it is to be human. This is the single thread running through all of my work and I work with artists and designers to explore these dimensions.

LATEST

Photography

I am a child of the digital era of photography. I purchased a Canon 5D mk II in 2010, which was the first serious camera I have owned.

At this point, I had decided that I wanted to invest much more into photography as an artistic outlet and it really brings me a lot of joy. I am lucky enough to know some truly remarkable photographs, such as Kris Krug, Ed Alcock and, through Olympic connections, Anthony Edgar, Bob Martin, Nick Didlick, and Gary Hershorn. While there is a lot to be worried about in terms of professional photography and how it is affected by the proliferation of pro-amateurs, I think all new innovation leads to challenging creative skillsets and think this is something of a golden age of photography.

Film

In recent years, film making has become an interest for me and I've really got used to being behind a camera, shooting and editing. Here's one recent creative work, which was made a year before the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Curating

Since around 2005, I've situated my work within artistic contexts.

From 2006 to 2016, I was a guest contributor to the remarkable Master Degree at the Royal College of Art called Design Interactions, which was led by Tony Dunne and Fiona Raby, two extraordinary and lovely people. This community of designers and artists have been a huge influence on my approach to working creatively and nicely interfaced with another core part of my creative development which was alongside the Foundation of Art and Creative Technology - FACT - in Liverpool.

I was appointed a Fellow of FACT in 2006 and have worked with its Director Professor Mike Stubbs and its wider entourage of creatives, many of whom have become close friends. Around 2008, I became involved with the foundation of the Abandon Normal Devices festival, having worked closely with Mike, Debbi Lander, and Gabrielle Jenks in producing this new event around the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad period. Working with these organizations has shaped my understanding of curating and working as an artist and allowed me to step into new roles.

Previous
Previous

Overview

Next
Next

Ethics