Dick Evans Work | Artist Statement & CV | Return to Artist List
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Artist Statement
If existence is defined by our senses and persists independently of them, is it not then our compulsion to prove in theory and practice that this world has concrete form?
This need to question reality through the imagination and our trust in materials is the main preoccupation of my work.
Growing up in Stratford-Upon-Avon in England in the 80’s I was strongly influenced by the notion of theatre and performance. From a young age I was fascinated by Shakespeare’s recourse to dream and enchantment in his plays to reflect on social and political events. In Art College I recreated certain elements of these plays in performances structured around sculptural materials and the movements and costumes of actors. This provoked me to explore the innate power of materials through sculpture and its ability to capture and transcend contemporary subjects and physical forms via metaphor and allegory.
In ‘Black Grape’ a moment is frozen, using glistening silicon carbide grains (used in diamond cutting) the possible devastation of a wave hangs over the debris of a day at the beach.
The installation ‘The DX Project’ encompasses hurricane fences cut down from a disused football field. These fences were used as an armature for sculptures that were then plugged into a CB radio. The installation is a sound system that emits broadcasts of local radio enthusiasts.
In ‘The Swan and the Spectre’ sand was collected from a volcanic island and used to remake Dianne Arbus’ fortress from her photograph ‘A Castle in Disneyland, Cal. 62.’
The fountain work ‘Hoodie’ has marijuana growing apparatus attached to the repelling surface of a black wax sculpture. An endless flow of tears is pumped over a shroud like hooded sweatshirt.
A recent work ‘Pencil on D String’ is constructed from a guitar string and wire sewn onto paper. The resulting shadow is traced in pencil. The drawing attempts to contain the potential and tension that I look for in all the sculptures, a tension between the description of existence and the fragility of existence itself.
My next project that I’m looking to implement combines Olivier Messiaen’s pivotal classical composition ‘Quatour pour la fin du temps’ (Quartet for the end of time) with one of Messiaen's great inspirations, Bryce Canyon (in Utah’s National Park).
Messiaen’s seminal work was composed and first performed in Gölitz concentration camp for captured French soldiers and Nazi officers in 1941. The score was inspired by The Book of Revelations and is an introspective meditation on spiritual existence, symmetry and time.
The film is designed as a four channel projection in which the quartet play the composition in different parts of Bryce Canyon with different visual compositions using minimal sets, objects and background actions. The work hopes to engage with the social, political and spiritual issues that are embedded in both the landscape and the music while also being relevant to my own ideas of fractured subjectivity.
If existence is defined by our senses and persists independently of them, is it not then our compulsion to prove in theory and practice that this world has concrete form?
This need to question reality through the imagination and our trust in materials is the main preoccupation of my work.
Growing up in Stratford-Upon-Avon in England in the 80’s I was strongly influenced by the notion of theatre and performance. From a young age I was fascinated by Shakespeare’s recourse to dream and enchantment in his plays to reflect on social and political events. In Art College I recreated certain elements of these plays in performances structured around sculptural materials and the movements and costumes of actors. This provoked me to explore the innate power of materials through sculpture and its ability to capture and transcend contemporary subjects and physical forms via metaphor and allegory.
In ‘Black Grape’ a moment is frozen, using glistening silicon carbide grains (used in diamond cutting) the possible devastation of a wave hangs over the debris of a day at the beach.
The installation ‘The DX Project’ encompasses hurricane fences cut down from a disused football field. These fences were used as an armature for sculptures that were then plugged into a CB radio. The installation is a sound system that emits broadcasts of local radio enthusiasts.
In ‘The Swan and the Spectre’ sand was collected from a volcanic island and used to remake Dianne Arbus’ fortress from her photograph ‘A Castle in Disneyland, Cal. 62.’
The fountain work ‘Hoodie’ has marijuana growing apparatus attached to the repelling surface of a black wax sculpture. An endless flow of tears is pumped over a shroud like hooded sweatshirt.
A recent work ‘Pencil on D String’ is constructed from a guitar string and wire sewn onto paper. The resulting shadow is traced in pencil. The drawing attempts to contain the potential and tension that I look for in all the sculptures, a tension between the description of existence and the fragility of existence itself.
My next project that I’m looking to implement combines Olivier Messiaen’s pivotal classical composition ‘Quatour pour la fin du temps’ (Quartet for the end of time) with one of Messiaen's great inspirations, Bryce Canyon (in Utah’s National Park).
Messiaen’s seminal work was composed and first performed in Gölitz concentration camp for captured French soldiers and Nazi officers in 1941. The score was inspired by The Book of Revelations and is an introspective meditation on spiritual existence, symmetry and time.
The film is designed as a four channel projection in which the quartet play the composition in different parts of Bryce Canyon with different visual compositions using minimal sets, objects and background actions. The work hopes to engage with the social, political and spiritual issues that are embedded in both the landscape and the music while also being relevant to my own ideas of fractured subjectivity.
CV
Education
2000 – 2001 MA, Chelsea College of Art
1996 – 1999 BA, Wimbledon School of Art
Solo Exhibitions
2009
Solo project, U.R.A., Istanbul.
Solo project, Boyschool, London.
2008
Solo project, The Hidden, Maureen Paley, London.
2006
Maureen Paley, London.
Solo project, Dior Homme, Hong Kong.
Group Exhibitions
2010
Pencil, Foxy Production, New York.
Newspeak, Saatchi Gallery, London.
A Testbed of Futurity, Southfirst, New York.
2009
Newspeak, Saatchi Gallery at The Hermitage, St.Petersberg.
CrASH, 110 Warner Road, London.
2008
The V22 Collection, The Wenlock Building, London.
Nul, Foxy Production, New York.
The Hidden, Maureen Paley, London.
Mask, James Cohan Gallery, New York.
2007
Nueva Dimension, Hats-Plus, London.
2004
The Black Album, Maureen Paley, London.
Leptin Constellation, Floating I.P., Manchester.
2002
Faster,Faster,Kill,Kill, Henry Peacock Gallery, London.
Of course there can be shooting, Postfuhramt, Berlin.
G7, Berlin.
The Queel, Millbank, London Institute, London.
The Embarkation for Cythera, Andrew Mummery Gallery, London.
2001
Room & Board, The New Gallery, Calgary.
Minimal Existence, Isokon Building, London.
Tippi-Hedren, VTO Gallery, London.
1999
The Future’s Bright, The Custard Factory, Birmingham.
The Ship - Curated Projects www.theshipgallery.com
2007
NUL, Foxy Production, New York, 15 May - 20 June 2007.
Nueva Dimension, Hats Plus, London, 13 October – 7 November 2007.
2005
Conquests and Techniques: a Synthesis, 12-27 February 2005.
2004
Motes in all eyes, 31 October - 5 December 2004.
One Bright Day, People Get Together, 19 June - 18 July 2004.
Concert In The Egg, 10 April - 9 May 2004.
Tongs ya Bass, 6 March - 3 April 2004.
2003
Ram Lounge, 22 September - 21 December 2003.
Pretty Little Things, 20 September - 24 October 2003.
Ponce, 25 May - 15 June 2003.
Selected Bibliography
2009
Fernando Castro Florez, The Reality Show, ABCD, November 2009, p4-7.
Fietta Jarque, Citas, El Pais, October 2009, p16.
Imke Henkel, Brit-Kunst in der Ermitage, Focus, November 2009.
Anthony Gardner, Charles Saatchi’s new generation of artists, TimesOnline, November 2009. Flat-Pack, The Jewish Museum Blog, August 2009.
2008
Francesca Gavin, The Hidden – Maureen Paley, Dazed and Confused, January 2008. Nancy Smith, Nul, artloversnewyork, May 2008.
Pick of the week, Guardian Guide, February 2008.
2007
The Saatchi Gallery, Dick Evans, saatchi-gallery.co.uk, December 2007.
Kenny, Randy, Art:James Cohan Gallery, The New York Times, December 2007.
The Art Newspaper, Basel 2007, The Art Newspaper, June 2007.
Ossian Ward, Talent, Time Out, November 2007.
2006
Finel Honigman, Ana, Dick Evans - Maureen Paley, tema celeste, May - June 2006, p83.
Harris, Gareth & Morris, Jane, What’s On: United Kingdom, The Art Newspaper, March 2006, p6-7.
Irving, Cameron, Dick Evans, Untitled, No. 38, June 2006, p61.
Marsh, Andrew, Reviews: Dick Evans - Maureen Paley, Flash Art, May - June 2006, p128 - 129.
2005
Falconner, Morgan, Where’s my Cut?, The Times, 19 February 2005.
O’Relly, Sally, The Black Album, Time Out London, 12-19 January,
2005.
Jones, Jonathan, The Black Album, The Guardian, 10 January 2005.
Pablo Lafuente, The Ship Gallery, Display, ISBN 0-9548240-2-4.
2004
Jones, Jonathan, Concert In The Egg, The Guardian, 12 April 2004.
Herbert, Martin, Tongs Ya Bass, Time Out London, March 2004.
Birch, Tim, Leptin Constellation, City Life Manchester, November 2004.
2002
Faster Faster Kill Kill, The Art Newspaper, September 2002.
Education
2000 – 2001 MA, Chelsea College of Art
1996 – 1999 BA, Wimbledon School of Art
Solo Exhibitions
2009
Solo project, U.R.A., Istanbul.
Solo project, Boyschool, London.
2008
Solo project, The Hidden, Maureen Paley, London.
2006
Maureen Paley, London.
Solo project, Dior Homme, Hong Kong.
Group Exhibitions
2010
Pencil, Foxy Production, New York.
Newspeak, Saatchi Gallery, London.
A Testbed of Futurity, Southfirst, New York.
2009
Newspeak, Saatchi Gallery at The Hermitage, St.Petersberg.
CrASH, 110 Warner Road, London.
2008
The V22 Collection, The Wenlock Building, London.
Nul, Foxy Production, New York.
The Hidden, Maureen Paley, London.
Mask, James Cohan Gallery, New York.
2007
Nueva Dimension, Hats-Plus, London.
2004
The Black Album, Maureen Paley, London.
Leptin Constellation, Floating I.P., Manchester.
2002
Faster,Faster,Kill,Kill, Henry Peacock Gallery, London.
Of course there can be shooting, Postfuhramt, Berlin.
G7, Berlin.
The Queel, Millbank, London Institute, London.
The Embarkation for Cythera, Andrew Mummery Gallery, London.
2001
Room & Board, The New Gallery, Calgary.
Minimal Existence, Isokon Building, London.
Tippi-Hedren, VTO Gallery, London.
1999
The Future’s Bright, The Custard Factory, Birmingham.
The Ship - Curated Projects www.theshipgallery.com
2007
NUL, Foxy Production, New York, 15 May - 20 June 2007.
Nueva Dimension, Hats Plus, London, 13 October – 7 November 2007.
2005
Conquests and Techniques: a Synthesis, 12-27 February 2005.
2004
Motes in all eyes, 31 October - 5 December 2004.
One Bright Day, People Get Together, 19 June - 18 July 2004.
Concert In The Egg, 10 April - 9 May 2004.
Tongs ya Bass, 6 March - 3 April 2004.
2003
Ram Lounge, 22 September - 21 December 2003.
Pretty Little Things, 20 September - 24 October 2003.
Ponce, 25 May - 15 June 2003.
Selected Bibliography
2009
Fernando Castro Florez, The Reality Show, ABCD, November 2009, p4-7.
Fietta Jarque, Citas, El Pais, October 2009, p16.
Imke Henkel, Brit-Kunst in der Ermitage, Focus, November 2009.
Anthony Gardner, Charles Saatchi’s new generation of artists, TimesOnline, November 2009. Flat-Pack, The Jewish Museum Blog, August 2009.
2008
Francesca Gavin, The Hidden – Maureen Paley, Dazed and Confused, January 2008. Nancy Smith, Nul, artloversnewyork, May 2008.
Pick of the week, Guardian Guide, February 2008.
2007
The Saatchi Gallery, Dick Evans, saatchi-gallery.co.uk, December 2007.
Kenny, Randy, Art:James Cohan Gallery, The New York Times, December 2007.
The Art Newspaper, Basel 2007, The Art Newspaper, June 2007.
Ossian Ward, Talent, Time Out, November 2007.
2006
Finel Honigman, Ana, Dick Evans - Maureen Paley, tema celeste, May - June 2006, p83.
Harris, Gareth & Morris, Jane, What’s On: United Kingdom, The Art Newspaper, March 2006, p6-7.
Irving, Cameron, Dick Evans, Untitled, No. 38, June 2006, p61.
Marsh, Andrew, Reviews: Dick Evans - Maureen Paley, Flash Art, May - June 2006, p128 - 129.
2005
Falconner, Morgan, Where’s my Cut?, The Times, 19 February 2005.
O’Relly, Sally, The Black Album, Time Out London, 12-19 January,
2005.
Jones, Jonathan, The Black Album, The Guardian, 10 January 2005.
Pablo Lafuente, The Ship Gallery, Display, ISBN 0-9548240-2-4.
2004
Jones, Jonathan, Concert In The Egg, The Guardian, 12 April 2004.
Herbert, Martin, Tongs Ya Bass, Time Out London, March 2004.
Birch, Tim, Leptin Constellation, City Life Manchester, November 2004.
2002
Faster Faster Kill Kill, The Art Newspaper, September 2002.
Pencil on a D String, pencil, paper, wire, and guitar string,
15.5 x 12.5 in
2010
The DX Project paint, resin, clay, steel, plastic, wood, aerial, radio, wire, taxidermied snake
78.7 x 141.7 x 157.5 in
2008
The DX Project (detail)paint, resin, clay, steel, plastic, wood, aerial, radio, wire, taxidermied snake
78.7 x 141.7 x 157.5 in
2008
Black Grapesilicon carbide, paint, artex, polystyrene, can, cigarette butts
87.4 x 65 x 78.75 in
2006
Broken Mirrorvarnish, resin, clay, steel, aluminium
66.8 x 84.7 x 95.25 in
2006
Hoodie hydroponics, wax, steel
80.7 x 20 x 59.5 in
2006
T25resin, bag, foam, sand, hydroponic light
31.5 x 45.3 x 45.3 in
2007
The Swan and The Spectrepolystyrene, volcanic sand
118 x 161.4 x 122 in
2009
Versusresin, clay, steel, wire, perspex
49.25 x 27.25 x 41.35 in
2005
86x277x128, 355x432x309, 133x331x189, 216x383x261, 165x712x172, 103x300x127Installation view of NUL at Foxy Production
86x277x128perspex, wax, dust, asprin, talcum powder
3.4 x 10.1 x 5 in
2007