A multidisciplinary artist, writer and researcher, I work both nationally and internationally investigating, developing and promoting the practice and theory of fine art and philosophy, undertaking exhibitions, commissions, residencies and conference presentations as well as occasional workshops and teaching. Current focus is the intersection of sound, including silence, time and body but I also use photography, film, installation, sculpture and Internet as media.
My main research area is borders and transitory spaces but also important is the field of ideas and what-if’s that are often generated by found ‘objects’ such as snippets of overheard conversation, a lost bus ticket, an echo, a door left ajar with light and voices creeping out or an idea ‘found’ through being in a particular place at a particular time. These represent the absolute now that peers through the cracks of everyday life and reveals its idiosyncrasies. In the studio, these fractures of the everyday are dissected, amalgamated, investigated with the mind of a scientist, even, to present, finally, a transient snapshot of the contemporary, a set of proposals that continues to ask questions.
Taking sound and light as if tangible objects enables me to look at their influence on the space around them and also incorporates the sculptural sensibilities of the ‘object’. The conjunction of space and object creates an intersection, a continual disturbance through the dislocation of site. These constantly changing events and relations transform surroundings, creating, locating, altering and crossing boundaries. It highlights the situation of space – open, closed; public, private; belonging, free; institutional, restrictive or can transform space into place, re-configure a border zone and brings into play the concept of time. My intentions are that by using sound and light to extend the remit of the solid artefact creates momentary structures as solid as the object that re-vision and act as springboard for new thoughts.
Overall, I see myself as an artist for whom intense research is necessary both theoretically and practically, who is willing to take risks to produce artwork that presents an alternative viewpoint using knowledge that is woven from different disciplines thus creating a unique body of knowledge that is inherent within the final outcome.
CV Dr Chris A. Wright May 2021
[email protected] 07715 175249 www.chriswright.co.uk
I make enquiries into the nature of things, especially the concept of borders and in-between spaces, through different media but especially sound. Sound has a shape that you can hold, roll around, taste, smell, feel, hear and allow your imagination to take you on a journey. Based in the East Midlands, UK, I am an interdisciplinary artist working with sound, film, photography, performance and drawing. Currently, my main practice and research concerns sound and its relationship to time and space, especially at the intersection with the body.
2021
October Unplace, Conference paper, FKL, Blois, France
May Normal Service Will Be Resumed with Hatchery Artists, Artcore Gallery, Derby
April One minute film included in British Film Institute archive
2020
Hatchery Artists supported by Artcore, Derby
June 11th Artist talk faciltitated by Chris Wright with Dee Shiels, Helen Stevenson and Linda Duvall
June 25th Artist talk faciltitated by Chris Wright with Jackie Berridge, Mary Hayes and Helen Lees
July 3rd She'd Online exhibition
July 17th She'd part 2 Online exhibition
Winter Narratives, Artcore , Derby Exhibition postponed
2019
2019 Winter Narratives Artist residency, Vadodara, India
2019 Encountering/It is as it was, InDialogue, Lincoln (sound installation and paper)
2019 In The Hole Duvall’s residency, InDialogue, Lincoln (paper)
2019 Fold/Unfold, FKL conference, Italy (paper)
2019 Urban Flows and Non-Flows in Different Rhythms pub. Galaad (publication)
2019 Summer Lodge Residency, Nottingham Trent University
2019 Resonation#1 & #2, Alchemies of Research, Birmingham (sound performance)
2019 Listening to Urban Space, EVA conference, London (paper and publication)
2019 Wording contribution in Convocations, Helsinki (site-specific writing)
2019 Wording contribution in Convocations, Venice (site-specific writing)
2019 Small Talk in OneMinute Films, Salto TV, The Netherlands (film)
2019 Territory at Platforms, Athens (sound/video)
2019 Sonic Site II - cello (Sharman-Dunn) and clarinet (Wright) (project)
2018
2018 Sonic Topologies in In Cammino verso Il Silenzio (essay)
2018 Glorious Corruption through Interdisciplinary Approaches University of Wolverhampton (paper)
2018 Samantha’s & It was in where-how’s, The Hole, New York (photograph)
2018 Sur et Sous, Grenier a Sel, Honfleur (sound installation)
2018 Dialogues Honfleur (performance with Louise Garland)
2018 Auditour, HMS, Nottingham (sound installation)
2018 Creative Confessional with Louise Garland, Nottingham (live art)
2018 Here, there PhD takeover, Birmingham School of Art
2018 Tenuto, Birmingham School of Art. (participatory sound performance)
2018 Ergh mmm & Estuary English Birmingham City Gallery (Sound installation & drawing)
2018 Inside Outside, Thresholds: an adjacent possible, The Tapestry, Liverpool (installation)
2018 Small Talk in Vol. 9, Oneminutefilms, North Wales
2018 Small Talk in OneMinute (selection Vol. 1 to 9), curated Kerry Baldry, HMS, Nottingham 2018 Sonic Site, collaborative research project with Ed McKeon, Birmingham
2018 Meet the Artist www.cvaneastmidlands.co.uk
2018 EVA Programming committee, London
2017
2017 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre for Contemporary Art Research, Birmingham School of Art
2017 Encountering/It is as it was Cagliari, Sardinia (sound installation)
2017 In The Hole residency, Saskatoon, Canada
2017 Not The Hole Story at Losing Ground Conference, University of Warwick (paper)
2017 Curating the Idea (Golden, the sculptural nature of silence), Curating the Contemporary.org (essay)
2017 A Collective Intake of Breath Listening after Pauline Oliveros Symposium, Leeds University (paper)
2017 Drift and Untold, Art-Athina Platforms, Greece (video installation and photograph)
2017 Urban Flows and Non-Flows, FKL conference, Cagliari, Sardinia (paper)
2017 The Identity of the Everyday in Sound and Soundscapes pub. Galaad (essay)
2017 Five to Watch https://www.axisweb.org/five2watch/2017/five2watch-language/
2017 EVA Programming committee, London
2016
2016 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre for Contemporary Art Research, Birmingham School of Art
2016 a-n Critical Writing bursary for Neon, Grundy Gallery, Blackpool
2016 Making music with light. Electronic short course, Music Hackspace London
2016 Encountering/it is as it was Harrington Mill Studio Gallery (sound installation)
2016 Small Talk, All-in-one loop projected show, Chiari, Italy (Film)
2016 Under One Minute Volume 9 Directors Lounge, Berlin (Film)
2016 Under One Minute Volume 9 Cinema Experimental, Lisbon (Film)
2016 Under One Minute Volume 9 at Light Night Liverpool (Film)
2015
2015 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre for Contemporary Art Research, Birmingham
2015 Digital Tourism CITAR Journal, Volume 7 (essay)
2015 Sonic Topologies, SounDay University of Urbino, Italy
2015 Anywhere is Everywhere, A Virtual Traveller’s Tale, EVA, British Computer Society (paper and publication)
2015 The Identity of the Everyday, Soundscapes and Sound Identities, Italy (paper)
2015 Plot 74 Harrington Mill Studio Gallery (curator)
2015 Things You Didn’t Know You Didn’t Know Harrington Mill Studio Gallery (curator)
2015 Palimpsestuous Nottingham Castle Open (sculpture)
2015 Begin under the Flyover The Excursionist, B-side Symposium (provocation)
2015 Passage For Bees Winterbourne House, Birmingham (Sound installation)
2015 Passage For Bees Haden Hill House, Sandwell. (Sound installation)
2014
2014 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre for Contemporary Art Research, Birmingham
2014 University of Wolverhampton. Visiting Lecturer, Fine Art Contextual Studies
2014 The Value of Failure as a Methodology or How to Fail Successfully, Nottingham Contemporary (paper)
2014 Urban Sunrise Hanover Project, University of Preston. (Image publication)
2014 Things happen, Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Birmingham. (Photographic installation)
2014 Summer Lodge residency, NTU, Nottingham
2014 Land Strategies and theCommons HMS, Nottingham (self-directed residency)
2013
PhD Fine Art and Philosophy, (practice-led, part-time)
Thesis: The Presence of Absence and Other States of Space, Staffordshire University,
2013 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre for Contemporary Art Research, Birmingham
2013 University of Wolverhampton. Visiting Lecturer, Fine Art Contextual Studies
2013 The Narrated Present The Collection, Lincoln (paper)
2013 Column tAd Gallery, Texas, USA. (Photograph)
2013 Play series. Brewhouse, Burton-on-Trent, UK. (Sculpture)
2013 Parallel Horizons , Stephen Lawrence Gallery, London (film of installation)
2013 You are here Stoke-on-Trent (Site-specific installation)
2012
2011/12 At Home Today, 12 x 12 firstfloorunder, Milan, Italy (Photograph)
2012 Badedammen Tarpey Gallery, Midlands Open, UK. (Photograph).
2012 Grass is Greener (on the other side) Blank Media, Manchester, UK. (Installation)
Prior work
2007-2010 Staffordshire University. Visiting lecturer, Fine Art
2010 Re-Semble (residency with Veronica West) Derby. Arts Council supported.
2010 Artist Residency, Tou Scene, Stavanger, Norway
2010 Artist talk School of Art, Stavanger, Norway
2010 Flaskepost Stavanger, Norway and internet. (Sound performance)
2010 Grass is Greener ZOOart, Cuneo, Italy. (Archisculptural Performative installation)
2010 Play series Waterside Open, Manchester. (Sculpture)
2010 Taking Off and Landing AV Festival Newcastle. (Film)
2010 Grass is Greener Departure Gallery, London. (Archisculptural Performative installation)
2010 This is the place where…. in Architectural Disorder, Ovada Gallery, Oxford. (Installation)
2009 Place: The Future was Here OneDay Sculpture symposium, New Zealand (paper)
2009 Constellation MIC Auckland, New Zealand (Interactive light installation)
2009 This is the place where.., Perhaps Something, Perhaps Nothing Leeds Met Gallery, UK
2009 Taking Off and Landing Short Shorts, Leeds UK. (Film)
2008 Chu Unoh Conjunctions 08 Stoke on Trent (Installation)
2008 Taking Off and Landing Birmingham ArtsFest08. (Film)
2008 Play series, Cupola Gallery, Sheffield. (Sculpture)
2008 Taking Off and Landing Empire Gallery, London. (Film)
2007 New Significances Up The Wall, Chester. (Light interventions)
EDUCATION
2008 - 2013 PhD Fine Art and Philosophy, (practice-led, part-time). Thesis: The Presence of Absence and Other States of Space . Staffordshire University, Faculty of Art and Creative Technologies
Principal Supervisor: Professor Douglas Burnham
External examiner: Dr. Francis McKee
My research argues that absence has an underlying presence that links the territorialized space of the non-place and the interstitial space of the border zone. It is posited that disturbed areas are created that interrupt, amongst other things, placial identity. It was also argued that the term ‘non-place’ has a limited validity in contemporary society. As a fine art, practice-led study, viewing space was continually questioned both with regard to my own practice and to other, mostly contemporary, artists. This was an interdisciplinary study and referenced fine art, philosophy, social and cultural theory, geography and critical theory.
2008 Postgraduate Certificate in Research Methods, Staffordshire University
Modules: Directed Study, Research Skills, Comparative Research Methodology
2006 -2007 MA Fine Art (Distinction) Staffordshire University, Course Leader: Professor Ian Brown (Common Culture)
Course Leader: Associate Professor Ian Brown
Modules: Contemporary Curating, Contextual Studies, Masters Project. Research Dissertation ‘Identity of Location’ looks at the identity of location through a dialogue between place and non-place and was a practice-based research that used light and immersive environments as a common theme.
2004-2005 BA (Hons) Fine Art (2.1) Staffordshire University
2002-2004 HND Fine Art (Distinction) Macclesfield College, School of Art, Cheshire, UK
Research dissertation (5000 words) ‘See the Silence’ comparing the uses of the pause or rest in music and the silence represented in visual art.
