Gary Simmonds MA, BA
Senior Lecturer and Course Leader
- Department of Art and Design
- Art Design and Media Research Centre
- Culture and Creativity Research Institute
Summary
I am Senior Lecturer and Course Leader in Creative Art Practice at Sheffield Hallam University. The Creative Art Practice course explores the potential space between Fine and Applied Arts - it seeks to draw from other disciplines while being firmly routed in the tenets of an art practice. I lead a series of workshops that set out to invigorate students interest and practice in painting and I have set up a discussion group for students, entitled 'Art School', which explores the currency of painting.
About
I make paintings that explore the space between abstraction and pattern. I enjoy the proximity of painting in relation to the decorative and the domestic. I see painting as a space to enable a visual and physical encounter, which can be immersive and intimate, thoughtful yet seductive, both playful and considered. My painting relies on the nature of abstraction, but also on an abstraction of nature. I am interested in the way painting enables a space not only between abstraction and nature, but also between abstraction and decoration. I take pleasure in the language of abstract painting: how it allows us to view the world in relation to this language. I am seduced by paint as a material and how that informs and leads a process that is contingent to its context. I adopt strategies that set up a distance between artist and outcome. Earlier works include a series of paintings with a hand-crafted squeegee where paint is left as a smear of colour on the surface of a board. This semi-automatic act of contingent mark-marking became an iterative process. When structured by the grid this process set up relation and dialogue between abstract painting, pattern, and decoration, presenting an ordered dysfunction.
I have an MA in Fine Art from Goldsmiths College, London, and a BA in Fine Art from the University of Central England, Birmingham. I have exhibited work both nationally and internationally, including solo shows in Milan and London. From 1999 to 2006 I was represented by Laure Genillard and One in the Other. Recent exhibitions include: Shapes and Colours (with Matthew Harrison) Westlane South Gallery, London (2013); Brutalist: Speculations and Propositions, Site Gallery, Sheffield (2013); Tegel: Flights of Fancy, Babylon Kino, Berlin (2012); 'Pile', Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff (2011); 'Nothing is Forever', South London Gallery, London (2010); and 'Die Panke', Lobe Projects, Berlin (2010).
Publications
Book chapters
Simmonds, G., & Trimming, L. (2009). Guest: Lee Triming ; Host: Gary Simmonds. In Kivland, S. (Ed.) Host : The Stranger Bound Edition 2009. (pp. 1-16). London: Artwords Press: http://www.artwords.co.uk/
Books
Kivland, S. (Ed.). (2010). Transmission: Friend : Guest: Jane Harris ; Host: Gary Simmonds. London: Artwordspress. http://www.artwords.co.uk/
Theses / Dissertations
Taylor, D.R. (2023). The future needs the past: remaking William Morris through contemporary art practice. (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Mccormack, C., Simmonds, G., & Stirling, E. http://doi.org/10.7190/shu-thesis-00544
O'Toole, B. (2020). Beyond the space of painting and poetry: Mallarmé and the embodied gesture. (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Kivland, S., Simmonds, G., & Tarlo, H. http://doi.org/10.7190/shu-thesis-00422
Holmes, D.C. (2013). Abstract realism : Non-anthropocentric strategies for constructing non-relational artworks. (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by McCormack, T.C., Simmonds, G., & Joseph-Lester, J.
Exhibitions
Simmonds, G. (2010). Nothing is Forever : exhibition. [Wall painting]. South London Gallery. http://www.southlondongallery.org/page/nothing-is-forever
Simmonds, G. (2010). A Trick of the Light. [Painting]. Primo Alonso Gallery, London.
Simmonds, G. (2010). A Trick of the Light. [Painting]. Primo Alonso Gallery, London.
Simmonds, G., & Reynolds, O. (2010). Die Panke - An off LoBe Project‘Bad Str Chartreuse’ watercolour on wall, 2010. [watercolour on wall]. 35 Bad Str Chartreuse, Wedding, Berlin, Germany. http://lobeart.eu/
Simmonds, G., & Fisher, C. (2011). Pile- Exhibition curated by Craig Fisher. [Painting]. Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. http://www.chapter.org/21692.html
Simmonds, G., & Harrison, M. (2013). Shapes and Colours. [Painting/ objects]. West Lane South Gallery. http://www.westlanesouth.com/
Simmonds, G., & Harrison, M. (2013). Shapes and Colours. [Painting/ objects]. West Lane South Gallery. http://www.westlanesouth.com/
Simmonds, G., Putler, V., & Sykes, T. (2014). SIMPUTSYK. [Paper/ Objects/ Paintings/ Textiles]. Artist Fleamarket, Artist Village, 1 Dragonfly Place, Brockley, London, SE4 2DP. http://simputsyk.crevado.com/
Simmonds, G., & Holmes, D. (2016). The Painting School 1 (New Materialities). [Painting Exhibition. Paint on board/ canvas]. Bloc Projects, 71 Eyre Lane, Sheffield S1 4RB. http://www.blocprojects.co.uk/adjunct-programme-the-painting-school-new-materialities/
Simmonds, G., & Holmes, D. (2016). The Painting School 1 (New Materialities). [Painting Exhibition. Paint on board/ canvas]. Bloc Projects, 71 Eyre Lane, Sheffield S1 4RB. http://www.blocprojects.co.uk/adjunct-programme-the-painting-school-new-materialities/
Simmonds, G. (2018). Malevolent Eldritch Shrieking. [Acrylic paint on board]. Attercliffe TM, Sheffield.
Simmonds, G. (2018). Malevolent Eldritch Shrieking. [Acrylic paint on board]. Attercliffe TM, Sheffield.
Simmonds, G. (2019). 'Glimmer', painting exhibited as part of 'Dark Lantern', curated by Paul Morrison. [Acrylic on unprimed canvas]. Sabineknust, Gallery, Munich.
Simmonds, G. (2019). 'Glimmer', painting exhibited as part of 'Dark Lantern', curated by Paul Morrison. [Acrylic on unprimed canvas]. Sabineknust, Gallery, Munich.
Simmonds, G., rogers, C., & lewis, P.L. (2021). 'Shimmer', exhibited as part of Fully Awake. [Acrylic on unprimed canvas]. Holden Gallery, Manchester.
Presentations
Simmonds, G., & Taylor, D. (2019). Shared Language of Painting. Presented at: Always in Translation, Site Gallery Sheffield UK
Simmonds, G., & Taylor, D. (2019). Shared Language of Painting. Presented at: Always in Translation, Site Gallery Sheffield UK
Postgraduate supervision
Dale Holmes (2010-2013): 'Abstract Realism: Non-Anthropocentric Strategies for Constructing Non-Relational Artworks'