| 1995-1999 1991-1994 1991 1979-1981 |
M.A. Fine
Art (Part Time) University of Plymouth, Devon |
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
| 2001 1998 1995 |
Beau Monde, Lexington St London w1 Beau Monde, Lexington St. London W1. Bluthner Piano, Mayfair, London |
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
| 2001/2002 2001 2001 2001 2001 2000 2000 1999 1998 1997 1995 1994 |
'Stitched
up'-The Politics of Fashion (co-curator) The Royal Pump Rooms Art
Gallery and Museum. Warwickshire. 'Kiss my asp'- Market St Mews, Penryn Cornwall Yota- 'Addressing baby' The Royal pump rooms art gallery and museum, Warwickshire. Open Studios (sw) 2001 '2001:Space Doubt' (curator) Studio Thirtynine 'Gliterati' - Gallery Fresh London 'Potato Chutes' A. P.T. Gallery, Deptford, London. 'Hello Sailor' (curator) Studio 39 Plymouth, Devon. 'Drawn Out' (2 person) Falmouth Arts Centre, Falmouth, Cornwall. 'Deptford X' Deptford Festival Deptford, London. 'Hydra' Live Art Event 'The Music Hall', Hoxton, London. 'Go Girl, Show Girl' Gallery Fresh, London. 'Build a Fort, Tear it Down' Falmouth Art Gallery, Falmouth, Cornwall ‘ 21' Spacex Open, Spacex Gallery , Exeter, Devon . 'Donovan & Byrne- First Against The Wall'-The Sherwell Building, University of Plymouth. ‘Macro / Micro' Artworx Falmouth. Falmouth College of Arts, Cornwall. ‘Come Hell or High Water' Artworx Pz. Penzance, Cornwall. The Original Print Gallery Temple Bar, Dublin. Easter Show The Gallery , Falmouth College of Arts, Cornwall ‘Portebello Festival' Massive, London S. W .2 ‘St. Ives Festival of Light' Chapel Gallery , Penzance Cornwall ‘Start ‘97' University of Plymouth, Devon ‘Vivid Visions' The Tate Gallery , St. Ives, Cornwall. ‘Mirror Mirror' Circus Arts, Brighton ‘Photokine' Cologne, Germany ‘Start ‘94' Plymouth Arts Centre, Plymouth, Devon ‘Fresh Art' The Business Design Centre, London ‘Ex-Hail' Spacex Gallery , Exeter, Devon ‘Open to Print' Vardy Foundation, University of Northumbria |
CAREER
| 2000-Current 1999-Current 1996-Current 1996-Current 1982-1990 |
Artist in Residence - Royal Pump Rooms - Leamington Spa Visiting Lecturer, Visual Performance B.A. Dartington College of Arts Visiting Lecturer, Media Studies B.A. University College of St. Mark & St.John. Visiting & Part Time lecturer, Foundation Studies Falmouth College of Arts Various roles in garment industry: design, manufacture, sales and promotion |
BIBLIOGRAPGHY
| 2001 2001 2001 2000 |
Sculpural society
of Ireland journal. |
Nicola joined
'Hayvend' artist vending machine scheme in 1999.
There are three examples of Nicola's work held by
The Victoria & Albert Museum in the Contemporary Artists Archive.
ARTISTS STATEMENT
| Recent
works involves the development of ideas and interests in skin, hair,
pelts and fur. This is evident in the use of leather as one of a range of materials, along with vast quantities of wig making hair and representations of luxuriant fur. These representaions are made using densley packed, manufactured 'tufts' fashioned from items such as steel pins and scalpel blades. The sumptious sensuality of fur and hair are combined with historical and symbolic references to produce three-dimensional works that depict these organic materials as transgressive and provocative. Curation of artist lead, and public gallery exhibitions is also a significant activity, with the aim of bringing together innovative and exciting art to a wider audience. Involvment in art criticism has resulted in the publication of commissioned freelance writing. Nicola Donovan has always as far as she can remember, been interested in clothing and dress. It is not only the sensual qualities of clothing or the evidence of extensive labour that some garments possess that fascinates, but the common visual, tactile and aural language that each one of us uses to communicate through our clothing. Nicola's art is meticulously made and involves extensive painstaking labour thereby ensuring that the traces of time and touch are recorded. This evidence of skill and labour makes references to some of the history of clothing production in Europe and also alludes to current practices in clothing manufacture. This artist experiments with a language of clothing by selecting already recognised and accepted items of dress and disrupting the cultural expectations of how that dress 'is', e.g. a business shirt made from dissolvable material, a fur stole, the fur composed of tens of thousands of steel pins, a literally pin striped suit, infants christening robes and layettes made in a variety of unexpected and expected fabrics, all of them uninterrupted black. The human body is represented in this work by it's absence, this intentional omission is to allow the viewer space to create their own dialogues, to bring their own experience and associations to the work without the artist directing a determined narrative. Because she makes use of a language common to virtually everyone, Nicola's work draws the attention of a broad and varied audience, responses range from interest in the laborious and precise nature of the work's construction, to multi layered and complex personal readings that differ between each individual. This artist subverts the accepted and 'normal', she demands a reaction that has very little to do with shock tactics, but much to do with surprise tactics, to elicit reflection and stir the imagination is what drives Nicola Donovan. |
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'Crone'
Miixed Media incl: Embroidery, Leather & Hand Curled Wig Hair
110cm Dia x 135cm
Held in the Collection of The Royal Pump Rooms Art Gallery Museum, Leamington
Spa, Warwickshire.
'Babies'
Various Fabrics incl: Latex, Merino wool, Cotton, PVC, Organza, Lace,
Ostrich feathers etc.
20cm x 65cm each
Detail from 'Babies'
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'BABIES'
is a collection of 21 infant ensembles ranging from traditional christening gowns, to more contemporary romper suits with the odd leather hooded cloak thrown in They are all made with great attention to detail in uninterrupted black Initially I made them to see how the viewing public (and myself) would respond to a disruption of the cultural expectation of how babies clothes are usually seen. The feedback from viewers is fascinating and as much part of the work as the actual objects. |
Pinstripes
Wooljacket, Steel Pins
67cm x 76cm
£1200.00
The Fur Sedition
- 21st Century Silver Fox
Latex, Steel
46cm x 41cm
£2200.00
| Contact:
Nicola Donovan More Images/........ |
