James R Ford is a contemporary British

conceptual art Conceptual art, also referred to as conceptualism, is art in which the concept(s) or idea(s) involved in the work take precedence over traditional aesthetic, technical, and material concerns. Some works of conceptual art, sometimes called insta ...

ist.

Work

Ford's work contemplates human needs and wants, the perils of choice, and the value of things and nothings in art and life. The search for, and generation of, meaning is also important to his practice, along with the confusion this can lead to. His focus is on conceptual reductivism, through looped short films, found object assemblage, poignant text statements or minimalist mark making. "The playfulness of Ford’s work allows him to approach complex philosophical theories and present the audience with an entry point from which to explore existential concerns. There is an urgency in his work yet the folly with which he articulates these urgencies is refreshing. As we try to navigate a way through the milieu of our contemporary condition we feel that Ford, through his practice, might be able to suggest to us a different way of seeing and/or being" (Rudi Christian Ferreira, Curator, 2017) Ford studied at Nottingham Trent University and

Goldsmiths, University of London Goldsmiths, University of London, officially the Goldsmiths' College, is a constituent research university of the University of London in England. It was originally founded in 1891 as The Goldsmiths' Technical and Recreative Institute by the Wo ...

and currently lives and works in

Wellington, New Zealand Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

. Ford has exhibited widely throughout the United Kingdom, New Zealand and internationally, and in 2013 was winner of the inaugural Tui McLauchlan Emerging Artist's Award from the

New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts The New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts (also referred to as the Wellington Art Society) was founded in Wellington in July 1882 as The Fine Arts Association of New Zealand. Founding artists included painters William Beetham (first president of the Ass ...

. In 2012 Ford curated a national touring exhibition of contemporary male artists based in New Zealand, entitled ''Never Mind the Pollocks'', featuring creatives including

Bill Culbert William Franklin Culbert (23 January 1935 – 28 March 2019) was a New Zealand artist, notable for his use of light in painting, photography, sculpture and installation work, as well as his use of found and recycled materials. He was born in ...

References

If a Tree Falls in the Forest, Who Cares About Philosophy?, July 2016, thecreatorsproject.vice.comCreative frustration inspires award-winning art, February 2013, stuff.co.nzAn artful pick and mix, January 2012, stuff.co.nzKeeping fit is child's play, February, 2003, bbc.co.uk

External links

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House Gymnastics
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ford, James Robert Alumni of Nottingham Trent University British installation artists 1980 births Living people Alumni of Goldsmiths, University of London British contemporary artists