Steve+Dutton


 * CS13. Steve Dutton ** – //The Institute of Beasts. Strategies of Doubt and Refusal in a Contemporary Art Practice//

May 26 Thursday 4:30-5:15 PM HM 138

The aim of the presentation is to explore whether strategies of refusal, doubt, errancy, cluelessness and waywardness can be seen as positive processes within a creative practice. The issues will be explored through a contemporary art practice but will have wider political and philosophical implications. Affiliation/Bio: Coventry University, Professor in Creative Practice, S.Dutton@coventry.ac.uk. Steve Dutton is one half of the collaborative duo of Steve Dutton and Steve Swindells (Dutton and Swindells). Their work can be seen in the context of post-conceptual artistic practices which play with and interrogate images, objects and texts through processes of collage, appropriation and multiple association. The aim of the collaboration is to foster complex interpretations, often from deceptively simple means; consciously working through varied rhetorical devices and tropes, modes of production and strategic interventions. Dutton is a tactical artist, preferring to focus on strategies, context and processes, frequently doubling, collaging, reversing, repeating and inverting images, objects and texts. Individual and collaborative projects have been exhibited throughout the UK and internationally, most recently at PSL in Leeds UK, Kuando Museum of Fine Art in Taipei, Incubator in Seoul, Ssamzie Space in Seoul, Consortium in Amsterdam, Txtrapolis at NAFA gallery in Singapore, Kookmin Art Gallery in Seoul, Text + Work in Poole UK, S1 Alternative Action Plan; Art Sheffield 03; CAFKA 02, in Kitchener, Ontario; Mercer Union Centre for Contemporary Art in Toronto, Canada and Sheppard Fine Arts Gallery, Reno. Inn 2005 Artwords press published Dutton and Swindell’s book //Misleading Epiphenomena// in collaboration with architectural theorist Barbara Penner as part of its 'Transmission' series. Dutton and Swindells have just published a new book work as part of their ongoing 'Institute of Beasts' project. Steve Dutton is Professor of Creative Practice at Coventry University UK.