James Robert Ford
James R Ford | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British |
| Education | Nottingham Trent University, Goldsmiths |
| Known for | Conceptual art, installation art |
| Notable work | House Gymnastics, General Carbuncle |
James R Ford is a contemporary British mixed media and installation artist.
Ford's projects include House Gymnastics (a domestic version of Le Parkour), Feecal the little chocolate starfish ('toilet humour' style cartoon characters and narratives), General Carbuncle (a British version of the General Lee, using thousands of toy cars) and Six Degrees of Smoking (tracking the lives of lost lighters).
Ford studied at Nottingham Trent University between 1999 - 2002 and graduated with artist Dai Roberts and curator Helen Jones, and a year after artist Jon Burgerman [1]. He then went on to complete his Postgraduate Diploma and MFA at Goldsmiths College, London.
James Robert Ford's most well known artwork 'House Gymnastics' is an exceptional example of the artist's knowledge, and use of mass media to generate and distribute artwork. 'House Gymnastics' mirrors projects and antics of British documentary comedians and humorists such as Dave Gorman and Danny Wallace (writer) In their use of the media as a tool to create stuff.
Ford's artwork is often based around social interaction and include elements of game play, participation, communication and humour, and is recognisable in form by its heavy use of the internet as a means of creating, displaying and promoting artworks.
"His practice is concerned with childhood past-times, pursuits and obsessions. His body of work consists of projects and investigations based around observations, process and play: ranging from a formula predicting Bond film plot structure, to tracking the lives of cigarette lighters, to covering a Ford Capri in over 4,000 toy cars."
Ford has co-written and illustrated the book House Gymnastics, had work commissioned for the permanent collection at the Swedish Museum of Modern Art, and has received a number of grants from Arts Council England.
He produces drawings, animations, assemblage sculpture, installation and film. Ford creates websites to accompany his larger projects, which often require involvement or contribution/collaboration with the public to create the work. His interactive animations and puzzles, displayed in the gallery setting or online, also change the viewer from passive spectator to active participant.
In April 2008 Ford exhibited a solo show of his work at FERREIRA PROJECTS, London, entitled Duchamp played Chess; I made Cranes, in reference to Marcel Duchamp's (supposed) abandonment of art for chess.
Ford's follow up show, "Only Boring People Get Bored", was shown at FERREIRA PROJECTS in March 2009. This body of work was an existentialist outing via assemblage, games and by-products of boredom. The installation "33 Things To Do Before You Are 10" was shown as the result of his gallery residency as well as forming an integral part of the exhibition. "Only Boring People Get Bored" was a confident and colour laden show, exploring how boredom can be inspiring and/or important in the production of the work. Existentialist notions of how we govern our lives as free individuals are of interest to Ford, and in particular how we fill our relatively short time in the world.
References
- Chocolate starfish goes online, March 2004, bbc.co.uk
- House Gymnastics - the interview, December 2003, bbc.co.uk
- House Gymnastics - book review, December 2003, bbc.co.uk
- Keeping fit is child's play, February, 2003, bbc.co.uk
External links
- James R Ford official website
- 33 things to do before you're 10
- House Gymnastics
- Feecal the little chocolate starfish
- General Carbuncle
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