03/03/19
Ross Davies
Performance Artist
Email: rossdavies79@hotmail.co.uk
Blog: rossdaviesartblog.tumblr.co.uk
LinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/in/ross-davies-118163178
Performance art is a relatively new and explorative form of art; that allows the artist to engage with their work and the audience at an extremely intimate and emotional level. The emotion within the work is raw and real, an intimacy that cannot be found within painting or sculpture. All my performances are performed in front of a live audience and look to create a relationship and dialogue through feeling and emotion.
My practice looks to challenge and elevate this, using the social exchange between an artist and the audience. Developing an intimate relationship between performance, self-reflection and raw honesty within my practice. Defining myself through a series of ‘tests’ that challenge physically, mentally or spontaneously in an attempt to understand me at the next level of consciousness. This takes the form of physical endurance, mental endurance, frank conversation, and open self-refection. These ‘tests’ present my intimate and personal findings, which are shown in the form of a publication or diary that accompany the documentation of the performance. Developing into a series of works that define the artist, define the artwork and define me.
“To be a performance artist, you have to hate theatre. Theatre is fake... The knife is not real, the blood is not real, and the emotions are not real. Performance is just the opposite: the knife is real, the blood is real, and the emotions are real.”
- Marina Abramovic
4 DAYS
A ser of durational performances performed by myself. This series of performances will take place in a variety of locations and setups across the Lancaster University Campus.
A series of durational performances looking to challenge the concept of self, using the art of performance as a method of self-reflection, definition, and purpose. These performances use methods of transgression to test and push the boundaries of the personal and the self. Each day for a period of 5 hours I will be testing a different boundary with a different purpose. These performances will be part of my Degree Show Exhibition Showcase: Coordinate, 20-29th June.
This series of performances will be followed by a 5th Day, which will be performed live at the Opening night of the exhibition in the form of an interactive spoken word piece.
Tuesday, 21 May - 24th May 2019
11:00-16:00
Day 1 - The Conversational
Day 2 - The Physical
Day 3 - The Mental
Day 4 - The Written
BA Fine Art
The past three years I have been studying my undergraduate degree at Lancaster University in Fine Art. My modules of choice have seen me specialise in Fine Art practice, art curation and management and the study of the history and philosophies of the arts. Having the opportunity to experiment and craft my art practice into what it is today. Refining my practice to specialise in performance art, film and photography.
As discussed above my performances are very personal, self-reflective and used as a tool to learn more about the self. Wanting to make art about the individual not the social.
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OPEN EYE GALLERY
InConversation
Ross Davies and Megan Teece Round
Description
In Conversation explores how communication has changed or adapted according to new technologies and social media; have technological developments forced interactions to become more and more inpersonal or is this the way forward for human interaction?
Can the same be asked about art itself?
This work asks the viewer to challenge the conflict between old and new in this showcase of traditional avant-garde style and contemporary performance and demands the audience to interact with the virtual and the real and observe the ways in which we interact in 2019.
Response?
We were incredibly proud of how this performance and the whole exhibition was displayed especially being alongside the photographer Ren Hang! There was a clear difference between the responses to the different audiences that spoke to myself in person and Megan digitally and platformed our inquiry to make further work in research of the difference between speaking socially and through a digital platform to in person.
Thesis on Performance Art
I have developed my first publication of detailed writing for my dissertation which looks to comprehensively research and discuss the development of performance art as a practice. The question I specifically answer will be:
'How have performance artists that are provocative and/or transgressive used taboos to capture and engage audiences?'
I believe that a key part of being an artist is understanding the theory, history, and philosophies surrounding the medium we work in. Especially when you are teaching art, being able to offer students a real understanding and base for them to further their studies individually.
Link to read my thesis, on performance art and its engagement with audiences!
