Hester Reeve MA
Reader in Fine Art
- Department of Art and Design
- Art Design and Media Research Centre
- Culture and Creativity Research Institute
Summary
My research encompasses live art, philosophy, drawing, David Bohm's 'Dialogue' and social sculpture. I am interested in the relationship between critical thinking and human agency in everyday life particularly when it is risked through the figure of ‘the artist’ (where what constitutes an artist is broadly conceived and not exclusive to art school training). Recent public works have been staged at Halle G, Tanzquartier Vienna, Tate Britain (working under the umbrella of ‘The Emily Davison Lodge’ with Olivia Plender) and the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
About
My art practice explores art as a species of philosophical agency, invested first and foremost in the task of radical thinking. But this does not mean I abandon making for writing, my passion here is how such thinking forms new types of subjects, uses of artistic mediums and behaviours for the artist. My practice is necessarily wide ranging - incorporating live art, drawing, sculpture, writing, lens based media and David Bohm’s Dialogue. I choose to operate in my own mind via ‘HRH.the’ (a conceptual persona), an intellectual and fantastical strategy by which I navigate my complex relationship to the world. My overall stance is perhaps contentious in that, for me, art is not viewed as a straightforward tool of communication, more as a complex kingdom that is continually attempting to establish itself through human thought and action. Specific areas of current research include the relationship between art and philosophy (between abstract thought and matter-lived experience), the suffragette as a militant artist (imagination and the political voice), the figure of the artist as an experimental site of radical subjectivity (extending to the art school as a creative laboratory for a ‘people yet to come’) and the relationship of drawing to performed event (including the event of thought). Research informed teaching is important to my practice and I lead Dialogue Groups in Sheffield Hallam University Fine Art Department (with Helen Blejermann) and have developed various innovative participatory extra-curricular platforms for learning through action-performance (in particular ‘The 24 Hour Origin of the Work of Art Lecture’). I also collaborate with Olivia Plender under the umbrella of ‘The Emily Davison Lodge’ and am a member of the international research group Performance Philosophy.
The relationship between art and philosophy, David Bohm’s Dialogue, live art action and its documentation, suffragette artists and the relationship between art and social change, the relationship between the artist and the academy and drawing.
Teaching
College of Social Sciences and Arts
Fine Art
Course Leader MART Fine Art & Creative Art Practice
Module leader BA Art Context 2
Research
The Emily Davison Lodge (with Olivia Plender)
(Official website pending)
http://www.oberonmagazine.com/oberon-1/
David Bohm’s Dialogue (various projects ongoing)
http://web.flu.cas.cz/filosofievexperimentu/nopaper/
http://www.nottinghamcontemporary.org/event/dialogue-2014
http://www.beshara.org/calendar/124/80-Introduction-to-Bohmian-Dialogue.html
Sculptural Substance:
https://www.hud.ac.uk/research/researchcentres/st/thoughtpositionsinsculpture/
Philosophy on Stage 4 (international research project: FWF PEEK-Projekt Artist Philosophers. Philosophy AS arts-Based-Research project):
http://homepage.univie.ac.at/arno.boehler/php/?p=7249
http://homepage.univie.ac.at/arno.boehler/php/?p=8009
http://www.shu.ac.uk/research/c3ri/news/hester-reeve-philosophy-on-stage-4
The Artist and the Academy
http://www.ysp.co.uk/exhibitions/hester-reeve-ymedaca
http://hesterreeve.com/ymedaca
‘Ymedaca’ – Submitted to Arts Council England October 2015
‘Live Notation – Extending Matters of Performance’ (co-authored with Alex McLean) –submitted to Arts & Humanities Research Board, September 2013
Olivia Plender
Helen Blejermann
Arts Council England
Publications
Journal articles
Reeve, H. (2018). Philosophy because the world matters. Teaching Artist Journal, 15 (3-4), 169-173. http://doi.org/10.1080/15411796.2017.1386501
Reeve, H. (2016). Live code, live art and the BwO dissection. International Journal of Performance Arts and Digital Media, 12 (2), 152-162. http://doi.org/10.1080/14794713.2016.1227601
Baily, R., & Reeve, H. (2014). Sculptural Substance. Journal of writing in creative practice, 7 (3), 545-556. http://doi.org/10.1386/jwcp.7.3.545_1
Reeve, H. (2008). Head hunting art : the artist-philosopher and the value of incorporating philosophy within the education of practicing artists. The International Journal of the Arts in Society, 2 (6), 1-8. http://ija.cgpublisher.com/product/pub.85/prod.265
Reeve, H. (2007). Letter of friendship. Angelaki, 12 (3), 171-174. http://doi.org/10.1080/09697250802041285
Conference papers
McLean, A., & Reeve, H. (2012). Live notation: Acoustic resonance? ICMC 2012: Non-Cochlear Sound - Proceedings of the International Computer Music Conference 2012, 70-75.
Book chapters
Reeve, H. (2020). 4th meeting of the Emily Davison Lodge. In Tormey, J., & Gillian, W. (Eds.) Art, Politics and the Pamphleteer. London: Bloomsbury Academic: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/art-politics-and-the-pamphleteer-9781350022478/
Reeve, H. (2015). Performance Art + non knowledgeHester Reeve: On the Good. In Blohm, M., & Mark, E. (Eds.) Formen der Wissensgenerierung : Practices in Performance Art.'. (pp. 75-78). Germany: ATHENA
Reeve, H., Beck, A., Cheeseman, M., Evans, C., Levene, B., Paragreen, J., ... Spencer, S. (2014). Park Life. In Cheeseman, M. (Ed.) No picnic : explorations in art and research. (pp. 54-63). Sheffield: University of Sheffield, Centre for English Cultural Tradition and Language
Reeve, H. (2010). "No Agenda" (David Bohm's Dialogue). In Brune, J.P., Gronke, H., & Krohn, D. (Eds.) The challenge of dialogue : socratic dialogue and other forms of dialogue in different political systems and cultures. (pp. 97-112). Berlin: LIT
Books
Waldock, D., & Pheby, H. (Eds.). (2015). Ymedaca. Yorkshire Sculpture Park. http://www.ysp.co.uk/shop/product/hester-reeve-ymedaca-softback
Reeve, H. (2009). Guest: Olivia Plender; Host: Hester Reeve. London: Artwords Press.
Reeve, H. (2008). Guest: Brain Catling ; Host: Hester Reeve. London: Artwords Press.
Reeve, H., Bayly, S., Diken, B., & Trehy, T. (2005). Art on Terror. London: Artwords Press.
Artefacts
Reeve, H. (2019). Sculptural Alignments. [Artwork/Installation (drawing, sculpture, sound)].
Reeve, H. (2018). The Broom Cupboard of the Emily Davison Lodge (exhibited at Hope is Strong). [Installation].
Reeve, H. (2017). Sollemne Enim est Bibliotheca. (Ceremony for the Library). https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13528165.2017.1285556
Exhibitions
Reeve, H. (2009). Weighting for the Return of the Image I, II & III. Bury Art Gallery, Manchester.
Reeve, H., & Plender, O. (2010). The Emily Davison Lodge - "Out of the Archives". [Video; Chapbook; 2 x Photographs; Letter]. The Women's Library Gallery, London Metropolitan University.
Reeve, H. (2009). The Cannonisation of HRH.the. Bury Art Gallery, Manchester.
Reeve, H. (2011). Come into my House. [DVD]. Ashden Directory Internet site. http://www.ashdendirectory.org.uk/featuresView.asp?pageIdentifier=2011414_37524050
Reeve, H. (2011). Come into my House. [DVD]. Ashden Directory Internet site. http://www.ashdendirectory.org.uk/featuresView.asp?pageIdentifier=2011414_37524050
Reeve, H., & Plender, O. (2010). The Emily Davison Lodge - "Out of the Archives". [Video; Chapbook; 2 x Photographs; Letter]. The Women's Library Gallery, London Metropolitan University.
Reeve, H., Plender, O., & Chambers, E. (2013). Sylvia Pankhurst : The Suffragette as a Militant Artist. [Exhibition]. Tate Britain. http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/display/bp-spotlight-sylvia-pankhurst
Reeve Hester, R.H. (2015). The Artist Lives! Long Live the Artist! [Project Web site]. Huddersfield Art Gallery. https://www.hud.ac.uk/research/researchcentres/st/thoughtpositionsinsculpture/hesterreeve/#hester-reeve-i
Reeve, H. (2015). Burning to Speak. [Sculpture]. Huddersfield Art Gallery.
Reeve, H. (2015). 'Nietzsche Salutes HRH.the'. [Performance]. TQW Studios, Tanzquartier, Vienna. http://www.tqw.at/en/events/lecture-series-dont-mind-the-gap?date=2015-01-16_17-00
Reeve, H. (2015). Body I am and ‘book’ is just another word for the body. Senate House Library, London. http://beinghumanfestival.org/event/illumination-how-the-visual-captures-the-imagination/
Hester, R. (2015). The Life Voyager's Tea Service. [Commission]. Soho Square and the House of St Barnabas, London. https://hosb.org.uk/art-social-15-anyone-for-tea/
Reeve, H. (2015). The Life Voyager's Tea Service. [Commission]. Soho Square and the House of St Barnabas, London. https://hosb.org.uk/art-social-15-anyone-for-tea/
Reeve, H. (2016). The Stoned Tongue. [Performance]. Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw. http://newmaterialism2016.wixsite.com/conference
Reeve, H. (2017). Right to protest and freedom of association! The Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Performing Arts, Prague.
Reeve, H. (2012). Ymedaca. Yorkshire Sculpture Park. http://www.ysp.co.uk/exhibitions/hester-reeve-ymedaca
Reeve, H. (2017). Yes we Kant! [Artworks]. Kunsthuis SYB, Beetsterzwaag, Netherlands. http://kunsthuissyb.nl/?p=3478&lang=en
Reeve, H. (2018). Art and Philosophy (group show). [Canvas, lead pencil, wood]. The Arcade, Kings College London.
Reeve, H. (2018). Art and Philosophy (group show). [Canvas, lead pencil, wood]. The Arcade, Kings College London.
Reeve, H., Golob, S., Haye, M., Hopkins, J., & Titmarsh, M. (2023). First Hand. [Event, live art documentation, expanded drawing, video]. Flat Time House. https://originforwardslash.com/archive/documents/the_first_hand.html
Reeve, H., Golob, S., Haye, M., Hopkins, J., & Titmarsh, M. (2023). First Hand. [Event, live art documentation, expanded drawing, video]. Flat Time House. https://originforwardslash.com/archive/documents/the_first_hand.html
Performances
Reeve, H. (2015). Of Sound in the Landing Page. Halle G, Tanzquartier, Vienna http://homepage.univie.ac.at/arno.boehler/php/?p=9391
Reeve, H. (2015). Of Sound in the Landing Page. Halle G, Tanzquartier, Vienna Mixed media. http://homepage.univie.ac.at/arno.boehler/php/?p=9391
Reeve, H. (2012). Virtuouso (dismembered Sonata for Hannah Arendt). Arnolfini Live art.
Reeve, H., & McLean, A. (2012). Live Notation ("RockspaceStar"). Showroom Cinema http://www.showroomworkstation.org.uk/livenotation
Reeve, R. (2015). Of Sound in the Landing Page. Halle G, Tanzquartier, Vienna
Media
Reeve, H. (2017). New generation. Performance Magazine: http://www.performancemagazine.co.uk/#hester
Presentations
Reeve, H. (2017). Homage to Robert Smithson - Plasticity and the ontological form of artist-substance as non-site. Presented at: Art Historians Association 43rd Annual Conference & Art Book Fair, Loughborough University, 2017
Reeve, H. (2013). The 'B' in Philosophy. Presented at: What is Performance Philosophy?, University of Surrey, 2013
Other activities
External Examiner, West Dean College, PG Programme Visual Arts
Senior Fellow Higher Education Academy
Postgraduate supervision
- Stigmata: Marks of Pain in Body Performances by Female Arab Artists (second supervisor)
- Drawing on divination: A speculative methodology for expanded practices of reading (director of studies)
- Anacoluthic Syntax: Feminist Phrasings in Writing and Reading (director of studies)
- A new methodology for experiential design and exploring presence using immersive digital technologies (second supervisor)
- Reclamation Ground: Constructing Heterotopias as Visual Language to Revision Power and Agency (second supervisor)
- Embodying the Social Ghosts: Exploring ‘Social Haunting’ through movement and sound (second supervisor)
How Do I Look? Viewing, Embodiment, Showgirls & Art Practice (second supervisor)