Peter Richards (artist)
Encyclopedia
Peter Richards is both an artist
and curator
living and working in Belfast
, Northern Ireland
since 1994. Born in Cardiff in 1970 Richards studied a BA in Fine Art at Howard Gardens, Cardiff part of the University of Wales
. He moved to Northern Ireland to further his studies, completing an MPhil. titled ‘Representations of Representations’ in 1998 at the University of Ulster
.
works. These works generally took the form of single channel installations, featuring the artist perform to camera, such as his ‘Untitled: table & chair’.
In the mid-1990s he began creating performance art
works and photographic documentation of the performance art as a single entity.
The first of ‘performance lucida’ series took place as part of House Style, a group event at The Bedroom Gallery (The Bedroom Gallery later went on to become BoBo’s in London) in the east of Belfast. His first solo exhibition took place at the Context Gallery, Derry as part of Beyond Borders Plus and was titled ‘Corrective Perspective’. The work was in three parts, the first an installation featuring a pulley system and the gallery being divided into two, one brightly lit and the other in complete darkness. The second part featured a performance that saw the artist hung upside down from the pulley system and swing toward the dividing wall. The audience had been assembled in the darkened space to witness a live project, caused due to a pinhole in the wall, onto three large sheets of previously unexposed photographic paper.
The nature of the projection inverted the image of the artist, who appeared on the screen to be performing a series of gravity defying acts. When the performance was complete, the artist was lowered from the pulley system. He then came through to the darkened space and proceeded to process the now exposed photographic paper. He put forward that the audience had witnessed the documentation of the action/event rather the action/event itself. The third part of the work saw the photographic paper installed in the gallery with the residue from the event.
Richards developed a significant body of works exploring the representations of documentation of performance art as featured in publications. He also created a series of ‘collective histories’ of performance art works. Stating that these works acted as a model for simple contradicts between knowledge and experience that are formative of our understanding.
More recently Richards has explored other aspects of our interpretation of representations, focusing in particular on the subject of ‘memorials’ in Northern Ireland. He has exhibited extensively nationally and internationally most notably participating in first presentation at the Venice Biennale
in 2005.
, Northern Ireland's pioneering contemporary visual arts, artist-run organistaion (est 1994) between 1996 and 1998. Since his time at Catalyst Arts Richards has worked as a guest curator at the Context Gallery in Derry and at the Old Museum Arts Centre in Belfast. His curatorial contribution to contemporary art in Northern Ireland is best known for his work at the Golden Thread Gallery
, where he has worked since 2001, to profile established contemporary Northern Irish artists, such as: Lisa Byrne, Ian Charlesworth, Colin Darke, Willie Doherty
, Seamus Harahan, Susan MacWilliam, Mary McIntyre, Locky Morris, Philip Napier, Aisling O'Beirn, Paul Seawright
, Dan Shipsides, Victor Sloan
. He has also worked with their peers internationally, such as William Kentridge, Destiny Deacon, Marjectica Potrc, Azorro Group, Zbigniew Libera, Shane Cullen, Delcy Morelos, Gerald Byrne. Also Richards has worked closely with a number of younger artists creating a platform for them to develop their practice.
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
and curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
living and working in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
since 1994. Born in Cardiff in 1970 Richards studied a BA in Fine Art at Howard Gardens, Cardiff part of the University of Wales
University of Wales
The University of Wales was a confederal university founded in 1893. It had accredited institutions throughout Wales, and formerly accredited courses in Britain and abroad, with over 100,000 students, but in October 2011, after a number of scandals, it withdrew all accreditation, and it was...
. He moved to Northern Ireland to further his studies, completing an MPhil. titled ‘Representations of Representations’ in 1998 at the University of Ulster
University of Ulster
The University of Ulster is a multi-campus, co-educational university located in Northern Ireland. It is the largest single university in Ireland, discounting the federal National University of Ireland...
.
Artist
Early in his career Richards was producing predominately video artVideo art
Video art is a type of art which relies on moving pictures and comprises video and/or audio data. . Video art came into existence during the 1960s and 1970s, is still widely practiced and has given rise to the widespread use of video installations...
works. These works generally took the form of single channel installations, featuring the artist perform to camera, such as his ‘Untitled: table & chair’.
In the mid-1990s he began creating performance art
Performance art
In art, performance art is a performance presented to an audience, traditionally interdisciplinary. Performance may be either scripted or unscripted, random or carefully orchestrated; spontaneous or otherwise carefully planned with or without audience participation. The performance can be live or...
works and photographic documentation of the performance art as a single entity.
The first of ‘performance lucida’ series took place as part of House Style, a group event at The Bedroom Gallery (The Bedroom Gallery later went on to become BoBo’s in London) in the east of Belfast. His first solo exhibition took place at the Context Gallery, Derry as part of Beyond Borders Plus and was titled ‘Corrective Perspective’. The work was in three parts, the first an installation featuring a pulley system and the gallery being divided into two, one brightly lit and the other in complete darkness. The second part featured a performance that saw the artist hung upside down from the pulley system and swing toward the dividing wall. The audience had been assembled in the darkened space to witness a live project, caused due to a pinhole in the wall, onto three large sheets of previously unexposed photographic paper.
The nature of the projection inverted the image of the artist, who appeared on the screen to be performing a series of gravity defying acts. When the performance was complete, the artist was lowered from the pulley system. He then came through to the darkened space and proceeded to process the now exposed photographic paper. He put forward that the audience had witnessed the documentation of the action/event rather the action/event itself. The third part of the work saw the photographic paper installed in the gallery with the residue from the event.
Richards developed a significant body of works exploring the representations of documentation of performance art as featured in publications. He also created a series of ‘collective histories’ of performance art works. Stating that these works acted as a model for simple contradicts between knowledge and experience that are formative of our understanding.
More recently Richards has explored other aspects of our interpretation of representations, focusing in particular on the subject of ‘memorials’ in Northern Ireland. He has exhibited extensively nationally and internationally most notably participating in first presentation at the Venice Biennale
Venice Biennale
The Venice Biennale is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Venice, Italy. The Venice Film Festival is part of it. So too is the Venice Biennale of Architecture, which is held in even years...
in 2005.
Curator
When Richards began his professional career in Belfast in the mid-1990s he was working both as an artist and as a curator. He was based at Catalyst ArtsCatalyst Arts
Catalyst Arts is Belfast's primary non-profit artist led organisation.Catalyst Arts was formed in 1993 in response to what was seen as a cultural vacuum...
, Northern Ireland's pioneering contemporary visual arts, artist-run organistaion (est 1994) between 1996 and 1998. Since his time at Catalyst Arts Richards has worked as a guest curator at the Context Gallery in Derry and at the Old Museum Arts Centre in Belfast. His curatorial contribution to contemporary art in Northern Ireland is best known for his work at the Golden Thread Gallery
Golden Thread Gallery
The Golden Thread Gallery claims to be Northern Ireland’s leading international contemporary art space, rooted in the local. The gallery offers residents and visitors to Belfast a programme of contemporary art exhibitions and participatory events...
, where he has worked since 2001, to profile established contemporary Northern Irish artists, such as: Lisa Byrne, Ian Charlesworth, Colin Darke, Willie Doherty
Willie Doherty
Willie Doherty is an artist, who has mainly worked in photography and video. He has twice been a Turner Prize nominee.-Life and work:...
, Seamus Harahan, Susan MacWilliam, Mary McIntyre, Locky Morris, Philip Napier, Aisling O'Beirn, Paul Seawright
Paul Seawright
Paul Seawright is an artist born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 1965. He currently lives in Belfast and is Professor of Photography at the University of Ulster in Belfast.-Life and work:...
, Dan Shipsides, Victor Sloan
Victor Sloan
Victor Sloan MBE is an Irish photographer and artist.Victor Sloan studied at the Royal School, Dungannon, Co. Tyrone and Belfast and Leeds Colleges of Art, England. He lives and works in Portadown, County Armagh in Northern Ireland...
. He has also worked with their peers internationally, such as William Kentridge, Destiny Deacon, Marjectica Potrc, Azorro Group, Zbigniew Libera, Shane Cullen, Delcy Morelos, Gerald Byrne. Also Richards has worked closely with a number of younger artists creating a platform for them to develop their practice.
External links
- Richards Biog
- Artfacts: Peter Richards Profile http://www.artfacts.net/en/artist/peter-richards-38720/profile.html
- Peter Richards
- Golden Thread Gallery
- Catalyst Arts
- Arts Council of Northern Ireland
- Circa Magazine
- Context Gallery
- British Council
- Sofaer, Joshua, Conflict of Interest: Performance as a Spectator
- Darke, Colin, Maximising Opportunities