profile/cv - resume

James Johnson-Perkins is a British Artist and Lecturer. He has exhibited widely both Internationally and in the UK. He has worked as a Lecturer on the Foundation Fine Art and Interactive Media courses at Gateshead College, UK, a Fine Art Lecturer at Northumbria University, UK and an Arts Facilitator at The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, UK. Johnson-Perkins has also worked as a freelance curator and was a director and co-founder of Novellus Castellum and The Star and Shadow Cinema, Newcastle, UK. Johnson-Perkins is currently working in the Middle-East, as Head of BA Fine Art, at the Scientific College of Design, Oman.

James Johnson-Perkins has exhibited in the USA, Russia, Japan, Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, Slovakia, Romania, Lithuania, Macedonia and the UK. Including: The IMAC Theatre, New York, USA, National Centre for Contemporary Arts (NCCA), Moscow, Russia, Toyota Museum of Modern Art, Japan, Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA), Glasgow and The Royal College of Art (RCA), London.

He has recently had solo shows at: Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Wales, UK, The Bridge Guard Gallery, Štúrovo, Slovakia, The Public, West Bromwich, UK, Kube Gallery, Poole, UK, DLI, Durham, UK, Nospace Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand, Red Gallery, Hull, UK and Art Gene, Barrow-in-furnace, UK.

In 2006/7 he was the Director of Novellus Castellum, an art organisation, in Newcastle/Gateshead, UK. This organised a two-year program of arts events and curated a large exhibition space in a disused warehouse in the East End of Newcastle. Novellus Castellum used the same methodologies as Mats Gallery in London, UK. Deriving its philosophy from conversations with Robin Klassnik (Director of Matts Gallery) and planning sessions with the arts consultant, Rod Macintire (in conjunction with A-N Magazine, UK). Novellus Castellum was also part of the Curatorial Biennale at Apex Arts, New York, USA. Aug 2007. (www.novelluscastellum.blogspot.com)

In 2006 he was also a co-founder of Newcastle’s The Star and Shadow, Cinema. This is one of the leading UK independent cinemas and art event spaces, which has been written about extensively in the UK national press. It was recently featured on The Film Program on BBC Radio 4, UK. As well as being instrumental in the set up and running of this venue, He has also, over the last 5 years, curated a series of artist video anthologies and organised many film events and exhibitions. (www.starandshadow.org.uk)

Johnson-Perkins' art practice is Interdisciplinary and draws from themes such as: memory, nostalgia and play. In his work he uses an assemblage of: childhood materials, nostalgic objects, costume, new media, drawing and performance. He has also recently been working on a series of ultra-large scale photographic works, using Gigapan technology. These were initiated in Venice, Italy, 2010. The first of these works premiered at The Athens Photo Festival 10, Nov 2010.

In 2010 he left the North-East of England to participate on two international arts residencies: with the Emily Harvey Foundation, Venice, Italy, 23rd February – 27th March (www.emilyharveyfoundation.org) and with the Bridge Guard Residency program, Sturovo, Slovakia, 1st October 2010 – 31st March 2011 (www.bridgeguard.org). In 2011, 1st April - 31st August, he was the artist in Residence with Coachwerks, Brighton, UK. In 2011 he was selected by Elysium Gallary to show his video The Štúrovo Super Hero Society (made during his Bridge Guard Residency) at the Venice Biennale, Galleria Perela, Salizada of the Greeks. Sep 2011.

Johnson-Perkins has exhibited work in over 50 group events, including: The Venice Biennale, Italy, The Athens Photo Festival, Greece, Digital Long Island Media Festival, New York, USA, Lux Artist Film Festival, The Royal College of Art, London, UK and at The Hay-On-Wye Festival, Wales, UK. He has been in shows with artists including: Alan Kane, Matt Stokes, Gustav Metzger, Matthew Cowan, Sean Scully, Robin Klassnik, Juneau Projects, Ross Sinclair, Andre Stitt, Michael Nyman, Bill Drummond, Boxi, Bob and Roberta Smith and Antony Gormley.

Johnson-Perkins has public artworks in various institutions including: Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead, UK, Cecil Sharp House, London, UK, Mega Bloks, Canada, The Public, West Bromwich, UK.

In 2009/10 Johnson-Perkins created several custom made installations for two of the most iconic art spaces built in the UK. The Kube, Formerly The Study Gallery in 2000, designed by Richard Horde and The Public Building which is a unique exhibition space that was originally designed by award-winning architect Will Alsop and completed by Flannery & de la Pole architects.

His work has appeared in a variety of International Art Magazines, Catalogues, Newspapers, Radio & TV, including: Fefe & Digimag, Italy, Relevant, Spain, New York Times, USA, The Guardian, UK, The Times, UK, BBC 1, UK, Teachers TV, UK and Wave Radio, Czech Rebuplic. Also over the last 10 years he has received 5 UK Arts Council Grants and a UK Northern Film and Media Grant towards international projects and research.

Exhibitions
Selected Solo
2011
Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Wales, UK
The Bridge Guard Residency, Štúrovo, Slovakia
2010
The Emily Harvey Foundation, Venice, Italy
Nospace, Bangkok, Thailand
The Public, West Bromwich, UK
2009
Kube Gallery, Poole, Dorset, UK
Art Gene, Barrow-in-Furnace, Cumbria, UK
DLI Musuem Gallery, Durham, UK
Tron, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
2008
Nospace, Bangkok, Thailand
Exhibit Gallery, London, UK
Red Gallery, Hull, UK
2007
Waygood Gallery, Newcastle, UK
2006
Jet Pack, The UK Arts Council, Newcastle, UK

Selected Group
2011
Venice Biennale, Galleria Perela, Italy
Elysium Gallery, Swansea, Wales, UK
Hay-On-Wye Festival, Wales, UK
2010
Athens Photo Festival 10, Athens, Greece
Wolf and Badger/Salon Contemporary, Selfridges, Oxford St, London, UK
2009
Building with Colour, Gallery North, Northumbria University, UK
Digital Showcase, Austin Museum of Digital Art, Austin, Texas, USA
Attitude, Center for Contemporary Public Arts, Bitola, Macedonia
2008
Video Art and Architecture, National Centre for Contemporary Art, Moscow, Russia
Illuminators International, Yekaterinburg Koltsovo Airport, Russia
Urban Identity, Monkey town, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York, USA
Harry Smith Anthology Remixed, The Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA), Glasgow, Scotland, UK
2007
Digital Long Island Media Festival, IMAC Theater, New York, USA
The International Experimental Film Festival, Florean Museum, Baia Mare, Romania
Video Art & Architecture, The Cultural Communication Centre of Klaipeda, Lithuania
& University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
2006
First Play Berlin, Hau 2, Berlin, Germany
2005
Northern Lights Film Festival, Side Cinema, Newcastle, UK
2004
Lux Artist Film, The Royal College, London, UK
Video Art & Architecture, Culteral el Molino Atomic, Barcelona, Spain
2003
Crossovers Japan, Toyota Museum of Art, International House, Kyoto, Japan

Residencies/Commissions
2011
Coachwerks, Brighton, UK
The Bridge Guard Residency, Štúrovo, Slovakia
2010
Emily Harvey Foundation, Venice, Italy
2009
Cecil Sharp House, London, UK
2008
Antony Gormley, The Angel of the North 10th Aniversary, Baltic Gallery for Contemporary Art, Gateshead, UK
2007
Rednile, Sunderland, UK
2003
Kyoto Seika University, Kyoto, Japan

Presentation
2009
Building With Colour Symposium, Northumbria University, UK
2002
Crossovers, Whitechapel Art Gallery, London, UK

Curation
2007
Apexart, Curatorial Biennial, New York, USA
2006-7
Novellus Castellum, Newcastle, UK

Bibliography
2011
Wave Radio, Czech Republic, March
2010
Digimag Magazine, Italy, May
BBC West Midland TV, 'Today Program' News Feature, UK, TX 9/2/10
2009
'Teaching out of the box', Teachers TV - TX 2,3,4/6/09
Supersweet Magazine, UK, February
Building with Colour, Catalogue, Gallery North, Northumbria University,
ISBN 0-9561206-0-1
The Guardian, UK, 11/1/09
The Crack Magazine, UK, 1/1/09
2008
The Metro, UK, 9/5/08
BK Magazine, Thailand, 8/5/08
Relavant Magazine, Barcelona, Spain, March
Fefe Magazine, 6th Edition, Rome, Italy, March
art, art, art Magazine, UK, March
2007
Sunday New York Times, USA, 10/11/07
Sunday Long Island Newsday, P3, USA, 10/11/07
The Chronicle, UK, 18/5/07
The Guardian, March
2002
The Times, UK, Critics Choice, 10/7/02
Billy Connolly’s World Tour, BBC 1 - TX 01/04/02
Metro, UK, Art Review, Lee Fenwich, 17/6/02

Awards
2010
Arts Council International Residency Grant
2007
Arts Council Independent Artist Grant
2006
Arts Council Independent Research Grant, Novellus Castellum
2005
Northern Film and Media, Travel Grant
2003
Arts Council International Residency Grant
2002
Arts Council Independent Artist Grant

Relevant work
2011-12
Head of BA Fine Art, Scientific College of Design, Oman
2011
Artist in Residence, Coachwerks, Brighton, UK
Artist in Residence, The Bridge Guard Residency, Štúrovo, Slovakia
2010
Artist in Residence, The Emily Harvey Foundation, Venice, Italy
2006-10
Freelance artist, Baltic Gallery of Contemporary Art, Gateshead, UK
2008-10
Lecturer, Art foundation and Interactive media, Gateshead College, UK
2006-07
Director, Novellus Castellum, Exhibition and Project Space, Newcastle, UK
2006
Co-Founder, The Star and Shadow Cinama, Newcastle
2005-06
Lecturer, Interactive media, Tyne Metropolitan College, Newcastle, UK
2004
Visiting lecturer MA, Northumbria University, UK
Visiting lecturer BA, Newcastle University, UK
2002-03
New Media Fellow & lecturer, Northumbria University, UK
2001
Internship, David Nash, Wales, UK
1998-99
Internship, Kettles Yard Gallery, Cambridge, UK

Work in public collections

The Bridge Guard Gallery, Štúrovo, Slovakia
The Emily Harvey Foundation, Venice, Italy
Golden Lane Campus School, Barbican, London, UK
Exhibit Gallery, London, UK
Cecil Sharp House, London, UK
Art Gene, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, UK
Northumbria University, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK