My work explores liminality and threshold states. The liminal realm is a transitional one, a passageway between two distinct states eg. awake / asleep, conscious / unconscious, past / present. Anthropologist Victor Turner has described it as ‘a place that is not a place and a time that is not a time’. The uncertainty of these in-between states has led them to be regarded with suspicion and anxiety, but also with the potential for transformation and social change.
Through installations, film public art projects and curated events, I create physical or psychological spaces in which the possibility of an experience of liminality can occur for the viewer or participant. Using ritual patterns, the work attempts not only to access the liminal realm, but also to suspend activity in it indefinitely, revealing the enormous potential for ‘becoming’ that this space offers.
Recent work has focused on the relationship between humans, animals and the land, particularly in South Wales, where I now live. The work draws on magico-mythological readings of the land as well as recent re-conceptualisations of land and rural spaces in fields such as anthropology and cultural geography. In the last few years, I have also become increasingly committed to projects that engage people not necessarily from an art background, either as collaborators or as participants. Many of the projects I am involved with make use of public spaces and pay attention to the specificity of place. See www.ruthjonesart.co.uk for more information.
Education
1999 - 2002: DPhil: The University of Ulster, Belfast
1995 - 1997: MA Fine Art: The University of Ulster, Belfast
1992 - 1995: BA(Hons) Fine Art (First Class): Liverpool John Moores University
Dip. Foundation Studies (distinction): Wimbledon School of Art, London
Current and past positions
2006-2009: AHRC Creative and Performing Arts Fellow at University of West England, Bristol
2006-2008: Supervisor for PhD students UWE, Bristol
2005-2006: Part-time lecturer Pembrokeshire College
2004-2006: Visiting lecturer at University of Wales in Cardiff
1996-2003: Part-time lecturer at The University of Ulster, Belfast.
2002: Part-time lecturer at Limerick Institute of Technology.
June 1999: Visiting Lecturer Art College, Valencia.
Dec 1998: Visiting Lecturer, University of Wales, Cardiff.
Dec 1998: Visiting Lecturer, The University of West England, Bristol.
Oct 1998: Invited speaker and panelist for the National Artists Association conference, Cardiff.
Oct 1998: Visiting Lecturer, Liverpool John Moore’s University.
Awards
Jan 09: AHRC Practice Led and Applied Research Grant for “Cloddfa”
Feb 08: Arts Council of Wales Production Grant for “Holy Hiatus”
June 2006-09: AHRC Fellowship Creative and Performing Arts, at UWE, Bristol
Dec 2005: Arts Council of Wales Project Grant for ‘sleepers’
June 2005: Wales Arts International Travel Bursary to Poland
Feb 2005: Wales Arts International Travel Bursary to Spain
April 2003: Arts Council of Northern Ireland General Arts Bursary
Feb 2003: Arts Council of Northern Ireland Travel Award.
June 2001: Arts Council of Northern Ireland General Arts Bursary.
May 2000: Arts Council of Ireland Visual Arts Bursary.
July 1999: Alice Berger Hammerschlag Travel Bursary
May 1998: Arts Council of Northern Ireland Visual Arts Bursary.
Selected Exhibitions and Upcoming Projects
March 2010 ‘Cloddfa’ - video installation Howard Gardens Gallery, Cardiff
April 2009: ‘Vigil’ - video installation at Tregwynt Manor, Fishguard
Jan 2008: ‘So Near, So Far’, Group exhibition at APT Gallery, Deptford, London
March 2007 ‘sleepers’ solo exhibition at Oriel Mwldan, Cardigan
Oct 2006: ‘Bordering’, public art-geography project in conjunction with Qube Gallery, Oswestry
2004-2006: ‘chimaerae verae’ - Collaborative book and DVD project with Iain Biggs
Nov 2005: Screening of ‘I:Crow' at UCG cinema, Cardiff in conjunction with Trailerpark
Sept 2005: ‘Fabryka Fantasmagoria’ Public art project with Galeria Wschodnia, Lodz, Poland,
'Site-Ations' project co-ordinated by UWIC and The Artists Project, Cardiff.
Feb 2005: Solo exhibition in Galeria Formiguer, Castéllon, Spain
March 2004: ‘The Suicide of Objects’, Catalyst Arts, Belfast
Jan 2004: ‘Transformations’ commissioned exhibition at The Manchester Museum.
April 2003: ‘Traditions: The Blessing and the Curse’, group exhibition, Womanmade Gallery, Chicago.
Nov 2002: ‘Folds’, Public art project in conjunction with the Context Gallery, Derry.
Sept 2002: Claremorris 2002, Co. Mayo.
July 2002: ‘sleepers’, solo exhibition at The Old Museum Arts Centre, Belfast.
June 2001: ‘The Value of Straight Thinking’, four person exhibition at The Old Museum Arts Centre., Belfast.
March 2001: ‘Artwords’, touring exhibition of work by artists and poets in Northern Ireland.
March 2001: 'Eva+ 2001', Limerick City Gallery.
Dec 2000: ‘En el Umbral’, two person exhibition at Galeria Lae.Sferazul, Valencia, Spain.
June 2000: ‘Liminal’, solo exhibition at The Proposition Gallery, Belfast.
July 2000: Contributer to the art newspaper ‘Fold’ published London.
Dec 1999: ‘Perpetuate’, four person exhibition at The Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast.
Sept 1999: ‘Milieux’, group exhibition at Le Lieu, Centre for Art Actual, Quebec City.
Aug 1999: Horsehead International Sculpture Project, Belfast.
June 1999: Horsehead International Sculpture Project, Seattle.
May 1999: ‘Lengua de Trapo’, co-ordinator of an exchange between Catalyst Arts and Lae.Sferazul, Valencia, Spain.
Dec 1998: ‘V/O’, Catalyst Arts committee collaboration at Catalyst Arts.
Oct 1998: ‘Perspective 98’, The Ormeau Baths Gallery.
Oct 1998: ‘Six’, group exhibition at the West Cork Arts Centre, Skibberean, Co.Cork.
May 1998: ‘Reverend Todd’s Full House’, group exhibition at College Green House, Belfast.
April 1998: ‘Intermedia 98’, festival of mixed media work, Triskel Arts Centre, Cork.
June 1997: MA Show, The University of Ulster, Belfast.
May 1997: ‘Housestyle’ group exhibition at The Bedroom Gallery, Belfast.
Nov 1996: ‘Pour’, two person exhibition at The Bedroom Gallery, Belfast.
Oct 1996: ‘Splatter’, Live Art event, Crawfordsburn, N.Ireland.
July 1996: ‘Irish Days 4’, The Baltic Art Centre, Ustka, Poland.
July 1995: ‘Summer Show’, group exhibition at The Concord Gallery, Liverpool.
Curatorial Experience
May 2008: ‘Holy Hiatus’, public art project and publication around Cardigan area, West Wales
July 2003: ‘And the One Doesn’t Stir without the Other’, curator of an exhibition of international women’s art exploring the themes of feminine
desire and female genealogy. The Ormeau Baths Gallery, Belfast. The project included a seminar with invited speakers and a
publication to be printed in 2004.(Reviews in Art Monthly, Source and Circa)
2001 - 2002: Invited curator for the Recent Graduate Program at the Context Gallery, Derry.
1997 - 1999: Co-director and secretary of Catalyst Arts, artist run gallery and organisation, Belfast.
Published essays and papers
Holy Hiatus Editor and essay contributor ‘Inventing Rituals’. Published by Parthian 2010
Tidings ‘Calling it Home’ - essay for book produced by artist Christine Mackey, Dublin
Imaginal Regions Article ‘Between a Flashing Star and a Gravestone’ published on the website www.imaginalregions.co.uk. Supported by AHRC 2005
Skin Article ‘Chora’ printed in the Catalyst Arts publication in conjunction with the exhibition ‘Under Your Skin’, May-June 2002.
no place I’m going to Collaboration with the artist aimnin in conjunction with the exhibition ‘no place i’m going to’ at the Context Gallery, April 2002.
En el Umbral Collaboration with the artist Ima Pico in conjuction with the exhibition ‘En el Umbral’ at Galeria Lae. Sferazul, Valencia, Spain.
Folds In Context publication produced as part of the ‘Folds’ project in conjunction with the Context Gallery.
JVAP Article ‘Becoming hysterical, becoming animal, becoming woman’ to be published in the journal of visual art practice 2003.
Circa Editorial advisor for the Winter issue of Circa 2003
Selected Reviews
April 2007: Tivyside Advertiser review of ‘sleepers’
Autumn 2002: Circa review of ‘sleepers’.
July 9th 2002: The Newsletter review of ‘sleepers’
Jun 12th 2001:The Newsletter review of ‘one + one + one + one’
Autumn 2000: Circa review of ‘Liminal’
Spring 2000: Circa review of ‘this from that’.
Ruth Jones
e-mail: ruthljones@hotmail.com
web : www.ruthjonesart.co.uk
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