DR AARON WILLIAMSON
Contact: aaronelsordo@gmail.com

DOB 25.12.60, male, British nationality.

My work as an artist is inspired by my experience of becoming deaf and by a politicised, yet humorous sensibility towards disability. Mostly, I devise unique artworks that are created on-site immediately prior to their public presentation. These consider the situation I encounter and represent, in part, my response to it. A constant theme is to challenge and subvert the romantic valorisation of social 'outsiderness' and thus I portray myself in performances and videos in the guise of sham-shamans, pretend-primitives, hoax-hermits, fake feral children, charlatan saints and dubious monsters. With these figures I explore and devise humorous or absurd actions that reference and pay homage to the 'classic' period of performance art in the 1960s and 70s. I have also more recently worked in sculpture (a Spike Island residency, Bristol), and painting (an exhibition at the Standpoint Gallery, London).

I am a Trustee of Shape Arts the UK's leading disability-led organization.

Between 2004 - 07 I was a 3-Year AHRC Fellow in the Creative and Performing Arts at the Birmingham City University, (2004 - 07). The AHRC Fellowship's Final Report was assessed through peer review and awarded a grade of 'Outstanding'.

I have also been awarded other fellowships and residencies including the Helen Chadwick Fellowship in Rome, 2001 – 02. I was the Cocheme Fellow at Byam Shaw School of Art, Central St Martin's University of London (sept 08 – may 09).

I was the Adam Reynolds artist-in-residence at Spike Island, Bristol, Feb – April 2010. The Residency resulted in two exhibitions: a Retrospective of solo and collaborative videoworks installed in Spike Island's Gallery (may 1st – June 6th 2010); and a sculptural installation in the Residency Studio (May 1st – 9th 2010).

In 1997 I completed a Doctorate thesis on performance, writing and bodily identity, entitled Physiques of Inscription at the University of Sussex, UK.

My publications include Hearing Things (London: Bookworks, 2001) and I co-edited 'Art Becomes You' a collection of essays on art and subjectivity (Article Press, 2007).

A monograph book, Aaron Williamson: Performances, Videos, Collaborations was published by Live Art Development Agency/ Kingston University in September, 2008 (Colour, 112 pages). To purchase the book, visit Unbound.

I am a member of the international collective of performance artists 'The Wolf in the Winter' (including Brian Catling and Anet Van De Elzen: http://www.wolfinthewinter.com/

With Katherine Araniello I collaborate on video making and public performances as the 'The Disabled Avant-Garde'.

I am Artistic Director of the collective of disability artists, 15mm Films.

In November 2008 I won the New Media Artist of the Year award sponsored by FACT, Liverpool and DaDa Festival.

PERFORMANCES (Selected):

Performance Responses – an ongoing series of impromptu public performance ‘responses’ presented to audiences in Taipei, Taiwan, November 2010; ‘Eruptio’ Action art Festival, Transylvania, 2011; and ‘Intercambio’ Buenos Aires, Argentina, September 2009. Funded by the British Council and IUNA, the National University for the Arts, Argentina.

The Marooned Wildman - ANTI Contemporary Art Festival, Kuopio, Finland, (Oct 2011),

Born to Rule – a durational performance to produce ‘Portraits of the Big Society’ by painting Gallery visitors in an atelier salon - with Jordan McKenzie at Standpoint Gallery, April 2011.

White Light White Wall – Modern Art Oxford, November 2010, as part of ‘Night and Day’ performance weekend.

Staggered Approach, Wollaton Hall Notts Oct 2010 as part of ‘Posthumous Progress’ a day-long performance event.

‘The Forgotten History of the Affligare’ – sculptures that were supposed archeological finds pertaining to a fictional medieval tribe of disabled beggars. (Feb – May 2010).

The Feral Four – Spike Island, Bristol and The Bluecoat Gallery, Liverpool 2010.

Two Shamans Trapped in a Lift – (with Jordan McKenzie) Standpoint Gallery, London, Nov 09.

Termite Gallery – (with Edwina Ashton and Jordan McKenzie), Studio 1:1, London, Aug 09

Fivepenny Opera – public performance for Camberwell Arts festival, July 09.

‘Artistic Failure’- A series of site-responsive performances in three Japanese cities (Tokyo, Yokohama, Kohnosu) as part of NIPAF09 (Nippon Performance Art Festival).

‘Collapsing Lecture’ – ‘Late at the Tate’ – Tate Britain, Feb 2011. Goldsmiths College, London Lecture Room (performance for the Fine Art Theory MA course); Whitechapel Gallery, London, June 09.

Stumbling Into the Future – Kingston University, London; (Feb 2008).

Slow Atom – Bewaerschole Gallery, Burgh Haamstede, Holland; (Oct 2007).

Shouting Island – ANTI Contemporary Art Festival, Kuopio, Finland, (Oct 2007),

Ornamental Hermit –  British School at Rome as part of ‘Live/Life’, an overview of British performance with Alastair MacLennan, Brian Catling, Sandra Johnston and Andre Stitt (June 2007).

Slow Slapstick – a performance on the Hayward Gallery’s sculpture court as part of the Arts Council Collection exhibition (October 2006).

Mimi Ga Totemo Tooi (My Ears Are Very Far Away) – four performances in four Japanese cities (Tokyo, Nagano, Nagoya, Maebashi) - Nippon Performance Art Festival, NIPAF 06 (February 2006).

Tilting at a Blood Moon – South London Gallery, (January 2006).

The Bogeyman – Beaconsfield Gallery, London, (November 2005).

Earth Head, La Bisbal, Spain (September 2005).

Copa D’Amore – Halle, Germany, at the Electric Renaissance festival (June 2005).

Wild Boy – Solo show, a six week durational performance installation and video work at the Showroom Gallery, London (April – May 2005). An earlier version was presented at Gallaudet University, Washington USA (April 2005).

Belong – 2nd DaDao Festival, Beijing, China (August 2004).

Rollin’ – Glass Curtain Gallery, Columbia University, Chicago (Nov 2003).

The Cross Patch – Den Bosch, NL. (August 2003).

Icemitten - Nuuk and Sisimiut, Greenland – (May 2003).

Charisma - HGKZ, Zurich; NRLA, Glasgow; RialtoSA Rome; 2001 - 02.

Clippetyclop – ongoing musical performance (lead vocalist), various - including the Electric Renaissance Festival, Halle, Germany (June 2005)

Home Turf – Public Performance, Derby Marketplace, April - May, 2001.

Whittling – Den Bosch, Netherlands, November 2000.

Obscure Display – Performance/ installation, Victoria and Albert Museum, Nov. 2000.

Sonictraps – Installation / performance, Angel Row Gallery, Nottingham Sept – Oct 2000.

Anti-Speak – Performance, Tokyo; Buffalo, New York; San Diego; Phoenix; Toronto; The Henry Moore Foundation, England and the Geneva Festival, (Jan – March 2000).

VIDEO / INSTALLATION (selected):

Quick Clips and Short Cuts – DVD compilation of 21 short video pieces, forthcoming from Live Art Development Agency, feb, 2011.

The Bell Clapper and Bestiary - Aaron Williamson and his Collaborators – 6-week long retrospective exhibition covering 10 years of solo video, together with collaborative works made with 15mm Films and the Disabled Avant-Garde. Spike Island, Bristol, England, May – June 2010.

100 Metres Gold Handicap (King Midas) – Video work commissioned by Shape ‘Inspired by 2012’ Olympic Commissions. To be exhibited in Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centrer from May 2009.

Barrierman – DaDa Festival, Liverpool City of Culture, September 2008. This short film won the award of ‘New media artist’ sponsored by DaDa and FACT Liverpool.

Performance Slapsticks – Shape Gallery, London, (May 2008)

Fly – Bewaerschole Gallery, Burgh Haamstede, Holland, (October 2007).

Friedrich From the Front, Foaming – curated by ‘International Exhibitionist’ and screened for ‘Grim’ at Montevideo, Marseilles France, 30.5.07.  Subsequently published on ‘Liveartwork 6’ DVD magazine (Berlin).

Lives of the Saints - Video Projection - Tate Modern, London, April 2003; Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, June 2004, Ian Potter Museum, University of Medlbourne, Australia, 2005. Edition purchased by the Arts Council England Collection, 2004.

Francois Truffaut’s ‘the Wild Child’ as if passing through the mind of a young, noble savage – video installation component of Solo Exhibition at the Showroom Gallery, London, April 2005.

Translation/Translatio - Video Installation - Café Gallery, London, May 2003; ‘Responding to Rome’, Estorick Collection, London, 2006. Edition purchased by the Arts Council England Collection, 2004.

Acute – video loop produced at Civitella Raniera Centre, Umbria, Italy in collaboration with Philip Ryder (July, 2003). Edition purchased by the Arts Council England Collection, 2004.

Five Smokin’ Televisions – Video Installation, Ferens Gallery, Hull, May - June 2001.

Obscure Display –  Video Installation, Victoria and Albert Museum, Sept-Oct 2000.

WITH KATHERINE ARANIELLO AS THE DISABLED AVANT-GARDE (selected):

The Disabled Avant-Garde Today! – commissioned exhibition by Gasworks Gallery, London in collaboration with Katherine Araniello. The exhibition included six video pieces and nine digital print ‘paintings’ (September 2006).

No Room at the Igloo – public performance for the Royal Festival Hall, London Dec 08; used as basis for film of same title.

The Disabled Avant-Garde – Charity Stall – Art Car Boot Fair, London June 08: basis of video work ‘Amazing Art’.

Assisted Passage- Birkbeck College/ SOAS, London, (Nov 2007).

Damaged Dance – Wolverhampton Disability Art Festival and eventual video work.

15mm FILMS (as artistic director):

Sex for the Disabled! – 15mm Films commissioned by FACT Liverpool to create a performance-shoot as part of Abandon Normal Devices art festival, Sept. 09

The Electricians – 15mm Films short, premiered at NFT, London June 8th 2003. Award winner at Picture This Film Festival, Calgary, Canada, 2003.

The Staircase Miracles – 15mm Films video work, shown at The Ikon Gallery Birmingham, (June 2005), The Serpentine Gallery, London, (December 2005).

The Way Out – 15mm Films video installation at Beaconsfield Contemporary Art Space (March - June 2009). Reviewed in Art Monthly, July 2009; Artists Newsletter, May 09; The Big Issue May 09.

OTHER:

Presenter and writer of Radio 4 Programme: ‘The Way Out: the Disabled Avant-Garde’ (30 minutes). Broadcast 15.3.11 at 11.30 am the programme attracted over 100,000 listeners. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00zdl1w

Curator of ‘Labyrinth of Living Exhibits’ for Shape and the Arts Catalyst, an evening of performances at the Hunterian Museum London, April 2011.

ESTEEM INDICATORS:

Trustee of SHAPE, the UK’s leading Disability Arts agency from 2011.

Artistic Director 15mm Films, a disability artists collective – awarded Arts Council England  National Touring Funding (£45,000) for videowork ‘The Staircase Miracles’, exhibited at The Ikon Gallery Birmingham and the Serpentine Gallery, London. (2004 – 05). See www.15mmfilms.com . A full-scale exhibition ‘The Way Out’ was awarded ACE Grants for the Arts (£25,000) and staged at Beaconsfield Contemporary Art Space (September, 2008).

Artist with ‘The Wolf in the Winter’ artist’s collective (including Brian Catling, Anet Van De Elzen, Jason Lim and others). The group gathers internationally for performances.

British School at Rome - Faculty Policy sub-committee advisor and panel selector for various awards.

Advisor to various panels at the Arts Council of England including the Combined Arts Department’s committee panel (1994 – 2001).

GRANT FUNDING:

Three-Year AHRC Fellowship (2004 – 07) awarded a total of £147,000.

15mm Films:

The Way Out awarded £20,000 from the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and £25,000 from Arts Council England ‘Grants for the Arts’ (April 2008).
‘The Staircase Miracles’ awarded £46,000 from Arts Council England’s national Touring Programme (2005).
‘The Electricians’ – awarded £7,000 from Arts Council London’s ‘Innovate’ scheme (2003).

The Disabled Avant-Garde

Awarded £7,000 from Arts Council London for ‘The Disabled Avant-Garde Today!’ exhibition at Gasworks Gallery, London.

FELLOWSHIPS/ RESIDENCIES/ AWARDS:

Adam Reynolds Bursary artist in residence, Spike Island, Bristol, February – April 2010. The award funded a three month period full-time in studios and workshops at Spike Island making sculptural pieces. These formed the basis for a publication ‘The Forgotten History of the Affligare’ to be published by Spike Island in March 2011.

Cocheme Fellowship at the Byam Shaw School of Art, University of London Sept 2008 – Jan 2009. A short film ‘The Man Who Fell To Archway’ was produced during the Fellowship.

3 Year AHRC Fellow in Creative and Performing Arts at BIAD, UCE. (2004 – 07). The Fellowship’s Final report was assessed through peer-review and awarded the grade ‘Outstanding’.

British Council in China, 6 week artist’s residency with ‘Artist Links’ project in Beijing and Shanghai, 2003.

Artist’s Fellowship in residence (6 weeks) at Civitella Ranieri, Umbertide, Italy - 2003.

Awarded the Wheatley Fellowship in Sculpture at the University of Central England, Birmingham, (2002 –03).

Awarded the Arts Council of England Helen Chadwick Fellowship 2001 – 2002 at the British School in Rome and the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, Oxford, September 2001 until April 2002.

Awarded the ‘Innovate’ Fund by London Arts to make a film short entitled ‘The Electricians’ (2002 – 03). The Film premiered at NFT, June 8th 03.

Recipient of ‘One to One’ Individual Artists’ Bursaries in Live Art 1999/2000, a joint bursary initiative by the Live Art Development Agency and London Arts Board. The Bursary included a period of training in digital arts at InIVA, London.

A book on the ‘Hearing Things’ project, including studio photography and
generative texts was published by Bookworks in March 2001. The book
received an award from A.C.E’ s Live Arts Publication Fund.

ACADEMIC/ RELATED:

1992 – 97: D.Phil. (University of Sussex) - Thesis entitled ‘Physiques of Inscription’, awarded Doctorate degree, June 1997.
1992: M.A. Twentieth Century Literature    (University of Sussex).
1990: B.A. (Hons. - First Class)  Combined Studies  (Brighton Polytechnic).
1994 – 96: Research Fellow in Performance Writing, Dartington College of Arts.
1998 – 99: Arts Council of England Fellow in Contemporary Art and Writing at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, Oxford University.
2000 - 02: Advisory Panelist to Visual Arts, National Touring Programme, ACE and to Visual Arts Dept. London Art.
2004: Member of ACE Visual Arts Task Group.
2005: Faculty Panel member, British School at Rome.
2005: Sub-Committee member SHAPE, London - Disability Arts Organisation.

TEACHING:

2004 – 07: MA ‘Performance and Performativity’ – course module designer and teacher.

From Sept. 2003: 0.5 Lecturer in Fine Art, BIAD University of Central England.

2002 – 03: Visiting Tutor in the Department of Visual Arts, Goldsmiths College, University of London. Visiting Lecturer to BIAD, UCE; University of Portsmouth and University of Derby.

1995 – 2001: Visiting Lecturing in fine art, performance and writing to various institutions including Ruskin School, Oxford; University of California,San Diego; University of Buffalo New York; York University, Toronto; Maastricht Kunstakademie, NL; Dartington College of Arts; School of Fine Art, University of Central England

1994 – 95: Research and Teaching Fellowship at Dartington College of Arts to launch the opening year of the Performance Writing course. Taught several modules including ‘Performance Enquiries’, ‘Interdisciplinary Collaboration’ Delivered lectures on Fluxus, Artist’s Books, Performance Theory, etc.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

BOOKS:

The Forgotten History of the Affligare (forthcoming from Spike Island Publications, 2012).

Aaron Williamson: Performance, Video, Collaboration (LADA/ Kiosk; September 2008; full colour monograph, 112 pages. AHRC Funded).

Splitting the Atom on Dalston Lane – published by the Eel, 2009

Art Becomes You (Article Press, 160pp; co-edited with Henry Rogers and also as essay contributor. Includes art theory essays by Amelia Jones, Judith Halberstam and others).

100 Years of Art and power – (48 pp; Arnolfini Gallery 2003 – b&w photos and texts documenting ‘Art and Power’ workshop project.

Hearing Things (60pp; Book Works 2001 – artists book: texts and colour photos).

Sonictraps – Involuntary Head Sounds (texts to accompany installation at the Angel Row Gallery, Nottingham, 16 pp, 2000).

CONTRIBUTIONS (Selected):

‘The Collapsing Lecture’ – essay in ‘Performing Knowing’ edited by Gavin Butt – Article Press/Goldsmiths College 2011.    

‘A Cripple at the Feast’ in Art Becomes You! (ed., Rogers/Williamson, Article Press, 2007).

Artist’s essay in Artist Links (Artist Links China/ British Council, 2006) Essay, p.202-205.

Cover feature for Art In Sight Magazine, ‘Performance Film’ (June 03).           

Essay for ‘Art, Lies and Videotape’ exhibition catalogue (Tate Liverpool, Oct. 2003)     

Introduction to Hayley Newman, ‘Performancemania’ (Matt’s Gallery, 2001).    

‘Audible Within – Brian Catling’s Performance Soundings’ – Essay in ‘Performance Research’ 4.3 (Routledge, 1999)
          
‘Exposures’ – performance images (Live Art Dev. Agency / Black Dog 2002).     
           
‘Writing Art’ essay in Art Monthly Oct 1999; republished by SIRS on-line.
          
Conductors of Chaos: The Picador Anthology of Contemporary Poetry (1996, p. 473-483).
           
Performance Research Journal 2:3 and 4.3 (Routledge, 1997; 1999).     
           
Random Access 2, (Rivers Oram/Glasgow School of Art, 1996).     

ABOUT (Selected):

Review of 15mm Films ‘The Way Out’ (Beaconsfield, 2009) in Art Monthly May, 2009.
          
‘Victor and Aaron’ essay by Louise Stern on the Wild Boy performance installation at the Showroom Gallery, published in The Showroom ‘Annual’ January 2006.
           
‘Hearing Things:The Scandal of Speech in Deaf Performance’ essay by Michael Davidson in ‘Signing The Body Poetic’ (Bauman, Rose, Nelson eds; Uni. California Press 2006).
          
‘Wild Boy’ Exhibition Catalogue, The Showroom Gallery, London 2005 – text by Kirsty Ogg.
         
 Analysis of Performance Art – Anthony Howell (Contemporary Theatre Studies, 1999).
          
Lights Out For the Territory, Iain Sinclair, (Granta 1997).
          
Media Ecologies: Materialist Energies in Art and Technoculture – Matthew Fuller, (Leonardo Books 2006).
          
Disability and Contemporary Performance – Petra Kuppers, (Routledge, 2003).
          
Architecturally Speaking: Practices of Art, Architecture and the Everyday – Alan Read (Routledge, 2000).
          
The Anatomy of Utterance, The Poetry and Performance of Aaron Williamson, - Richard Dyer, in Rapid Eye 2 (Creation Books, 1992).

CONFERENCES (selected):

‘Art Becomes You’ conference co-convenor with Henry Rogers at BIAD, UCE, 2005. Chaired by Sarat Maharaj, speakers included Amelia Jones, Judith Halberstram, and myself.

‘Adjustments’ ACE funded conference on disability and arts at Tate Modern, Dec 2006.

‘Talking To Scientists’ EAR Institute, University College London, March 2006.

‘Common Sense’ conference around 15mm Films’ ‘The Staircase Miracles’ at Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, June 2005.