About

JOHN

COURT

John Court (b. 1969, Bromley, Kent, UK; lives Tornio, Finland) produces art that springs from personal experience, focuses on the body and, most importantly, hinges on process and the passage of time. Court graduated from London’s Camberwell School of Art (1994) and obtained a 1st Class Honours Degree in Sculpture from the Norwich School of Art and Design (1997) and, although the general character of his projects has evolved over time, the artistic footing he developed while a sculpture student continues to be a mainstay of his approach. Colour, for example, never requites consideration, since it is predetermined by the materials he uses. And while he continues to produce sculptural objects and draw, these processes are frequently adapted to respond to specific contexts and/or dovetailed into time-based works. The resulting transformations greatly expand the scope of these artistic approaches and generate outcomes that are unexpected and intrigue. Moreover, Court’s interest in process is so far-reaching that he does not differentiate between work produced in the studio or live before audiences. He considers all to be performative. A particularly compelling feature of Court’s practice is how he explores his relationship to language activities. Although he grasps artistic concepts and can analyse visual information, his reading and writing abilities are impeded by a severe form of dyslexia. Thus, as a young adult determined to go to art school, he worked diligently to improve his literacy skills. He then, as an art school student, began to draw from his previous school experiences and represent aspects of them in his work. As a focus, this theme became comprehensive and runs through much of the artist’s work.

Court confronts his dyslexia by developing projects that present opportunities for learning and, by doing that, also transforms the viewer’s awareness of what that process involves. He, for example, does this by incorporating school equipment — basic things such as worktables, books, marking pens, and chalk — into his projects, where they help to reveal the discipline and tedious repetition that it takes to learn the shapes and sounds of letters, interpret texts, pronounce words, and write legibly. They also tend to be burdensome and, therefore, actualise what transpires over time. For Court, knowing is doing and it is only through building, applying media to various substrates, and manipulating materials — usually employing recurrent forms of movement — that the meanings of his artworks make themselves known to him. All of Court’s works embody the interdependent processes of writing and drawing, which are fundamental to his practice, and unite line, movement, time, and space. As such, they manifest inextricable and dynamic totalities that not only reflect his reality, but also provide viewers with experiences that reshape their views on the acquisition and use of language.

About

the

works

Now -

2016

2 x Untitled, 5-hour performance, at Forum Box Helsinki, Finland 2023. Installation view of art exhibition at Forum Box Helsinki, Finland 2023. 6-hours 6 days Performance at Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art Helsinki, Finland 2023. Untitled, 7- hours performance in Seven of Seven, performance and live art festival in Breda, Netherland 2022. Photos: Jeroen Bronckers. Installation view of art exhibition at GalleriaG Helsinki, Finland 2022. Photos: Aukusti Heinonen. W performance 3-hours at LIVE ACTION 17 Gothenburg, Sweden 2022. Photos: Christian Berven. Installation view of joint art exhibition at Pesula Galleria Sipoo, Finland 2022. Untitled, 10-hours performance Meander International performance art project, in Cologne, Germany 2020. Photos: Thomas Reul. Untitled, 8-hours performance Untitled in BIFPA22 Belfast International Festival of Performance Art Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK 2022. Installation views, of art exhibition at Kuntsi Museum of Modern Art, Vaasa, Finland 2020. A Body of Work by John Court book, 2022. Untitled, 20-hour performance in Bergen International Performance Festival 2020 at at Kunstgarasjen, in Bergen, Norway, 2022. Untitled, performance (duration unknown), State of Move international performance art festival, Puristamo, Cable Factory, Helsinki, 2018. Photos: Antti Ahonen. Installation view of art exhibition at MA Art Museum, Rouyn-Noranda, Québec, Canada 2018. Plan-B 120cm x 80cm print, 2018. Untitled, 4-hour performance, In the Center of one’s own Periphery, Six Performances 2018, studio im HOCHHAUS, Berlin, Germany, 2018. Photos: Anja Ibsch, Teena Lange. AboAut, 3-hour performance, New Performance Festival Turku - Occupy Aurajoki!, Turku, Finland, 2017. Photos: Stina Holttinen, Julius Töyrylä. Untitled, 4-hour performance in Common Ground in SIGNAL festival Brussels Belgium, 2017. Photos: David Mauquoy and Bea Borgers. an idea of performance a idea of art: by John Court, book, 2017. Untitled, 3-hours Performance in 5th UPON Live Art Festival Chengdu China 2017.Untitled, 4-hour performance, Oui Performance, St Leonards Hospital, York, UK, 2016. Photos: Nathan Walker. Untitled, 5-hour performance, Beijing Live international performance art festival, Danish Cultural Center and Goethe-Institut China, Beijing, China, 2016. Photos: Joakim Stampe. Untitled, performance (duration unknown), Beijing Live international performance art festival, Danish Cultural Center and Goethe-Institut China, Beijing, China, 2016. Photos: Zhang Zhi Qiang. Untitled, two 4-hour performances, New Performance Festival Turku, Topelius Elementary School, Turku, Finland, 2016. Photos: Ignacio Pérez Pérez. Untitled, performance (duration unknown), ARCTIC ACTION ART Live Performance Art Festival, Pyramiden, Svalbard, Norway, 2016. Photos: Joakim Stampe. Untitled, 7-hour performance, Rum för performance, Bildmuseet, Umeå, Sweden, 2016. Photos: Helena Wikström. Untitled, 4-hours performance in Live Time Gothenburg Sweden, 2016. Photos: Joakim Stampe. Untitled, 4-hours performance XVIII International Art Festival Interkcje Piotrków Trybunalski Poland, 2016. Photos: Paulina Adaszek.

2015 –

2006

Untitled, performance (duration unknown), Drawing Triennial National Museum, Wrocław, Poland. Untitled, 3-hour performance, VIVA! Art Action, Montreal, Canada, 2015. Photos: Christian Bujold. Untitled, 7-hour performance, Streetlevel - Performance Art in Public Space, Helsinki, Finland, 2015. Photos: Antti Ahonen. Duration unknown performance Untitled at Venø Gård KUNST International performance art festival Selje Norway 2015 Photos: Bjørn Venø. Untitled Size 56x76cm Materials used : paper, pencil 2015. Untitled, 7-hour performance, Rapid Pulse International performance festival, Chicago,USA, 2015. Untitled, performance (duration unknown), Shifts - Investigating Score in Performance Art, Month of Performance Art – Berlin, Germany, 2015. Photos: Ilya Noe. Untitled, performance (duration unknown), Infr'Action Venezia 3, recess, 56th Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy, 2015. Photos: Joakim Stampe and Photos: Joachim Axelsson. Untitled, 6-hour performance, 7a*11d International Festival of Performance Art, Toronto, Canada, 2014. Photos: Henry Chan Untitled, 7-hour performance, INFR'ACTION 10, Espace Paul Boye, Sète, France, 2014. Photos: Joakim Stampe Untitled, performance (duration unknown), INFR'ACTION 10, Espace Paul Boye, Sète, France, 2014. Photos: Evelyne GoupyUntitled, 4-hour performance, LiveAction 9, Göteborgs Konsthall, Gothenburg, Sweden, 2014. Photos: Li Qijian 8, 8-hour performance, DigitaLive, YouYou Contemporary Art Center, Guangzhou, China, 2014. Photos: Jiayi Chen 8 hours performance Untitled at Guangzhou Live 4, Guangzhou, China 2013. Photos: Joakim Stampe and Roland von der Emden Untitled, 3-hour performance, Festival of Experimental Live Arts UPROOTED Fake Nations, HIAP Gallery Augusta, Helsinki, Finland, 2013. Photo: Liina Kuittinen Untitled Size 56x76cm Materials used : paper, Black Maker pens, 2013. Untitled, 3-hour performance, Infr’Action Venezia 2, Venice, Italy, 2013. Photos: Gustaf Broms and Roland von der Emden. 8-hours performance Untitled at Fake Finns and Wannabe Swedes, in IKRA Dance and Performance Art Festival, Haparanda, Sweden 2013. Photos: Stina Engman an Denis Romanowski. 4-hours performance Untitled in Draw to Perform, at Performance Space, London, England 2013 Photos: Ram Samocha. Untitled, 8-hour performance, HERE AND NOW. Performance Art in Finland, Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova Museum, Turku, Finland, 2013. Photos: Miika Hellevaara 8-hours performance Untitled Ikra live art festival, Haparanda, Sweden, in Svefi, Sverigefinska Folkhögskolan 2011 Photos: Titta Court. Untitled, 8-hour performance, Spacex Gallery, Exeter, UK, 2012. Photos: Patrick Cullum. Installation views, of art exhibition in The Work Between The Lines at Spacex Gallery Exeter, UK 2012 Photos: John Melville. John Court B/W video book, 2012. Untitled, three 3-hour-long performances, Be Captivated! Live Art Festival, former Bergen county jail, Bergen, Norway, 2011. Photos: Boris Nieslony, Pavana Reid. 5 hours and 30 mins Untitled at Fake Fin Festival, Helsinki, Finland 2011 Photos: Maurice Blok. Installation views, of group art exhibition in Aistikaaos Oulu Art Museum, Finland 2010. Galleria Kellokas, Ylläs, Finland 2010. Untitled, performance (duration unknown), Guangzhou Live - International Performance Art Festival, Guangzhou, China, 2010. Installation views, of art exhibition in Galleria AARNI Weegee 2010. Photos: Anu Suhonen ART TRA, 8-hour performance, ANTI - Contemporary Art Festival Kuopio, Finland, 2010. Photo: Pekka Mäkinen ART TRA, 8-hour performance, Guangzhou Live - International Performance Art Festival, The New 53 Art Museum, Guangzhou, China, 2010. Photo: Ge Zeng Installation views, of art exhibition in Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova museum, Turku, Finland, 2009 Installation views, of art exhibition in Aine Art Museum, Tornio, Finland. 2009. ART TRA, 8-hour performance, TRACE: Install-action Artspace, Cardiff, Wales, 2008. Photo: Tim Freeman Mope 08 Kuntsi Museum of Modern Art, Vaasa, Finland, 2008 Installation views, of art exhibition in Jyväskylä Art Museum, Finland. 2008. Installation views, of art exhibition in Rovaniemi Art Museum, Finland, 2006. John Court Drawings book, 2007. Sensing Space 8-hours Performance in Infi’Action festival, Sète, France 2006. ART TRA, 8-hour performance, Live Action festival, Gothenburg, Sweden 2006. ART TRA, 8-hour performance, Amorph!06 - cover up, Artists’ Association MUU, Helsinki, Finland, 2006. Photo: Reproduction by permission of the Artists’ Association MUU.

2005 –

1996

Pushing Space, 4-hour performance, MOPE 05 international performance festival, City Art Hall, Vaasa, Finland, 2005. Photos: Heidi Lunabba. 8-hour performance, in Reaction collateral event, 51st Venice Biennale, Italy, 2005. Untitled 2005 Size A0 112cm by 77cm Materials used : paper, pencil. Installation views, of group art exhibition in Mänttä art festival, Mänttä, Finland 2005. 5-hours Performance in Ateneum Museum (sali), Helsinki Finland. 2005. Untitled, performance (duration unknown), in La bas live art festival, Valssaamo, Helsinki Finland 2005. Marking Space, 8-hour performance in Liverpool Biennial, at Walker Art Gallery, England, 2004. Untitled 2004 Size A0 112cm by 77cm Materials used : paper, pencil. White Out 8-hour performance in Marginal art festival, Joensuu, Finland. 8-hour Standing in Pang art festival, Rovaniemi main street, Finland, 2004. Photos: Mark Roberts. 8-hour standing, 8-hour performance, Platform Project Space, Vaasa, Finland, 2004. Photos: Marcus Lerviks Untitled 2003 Size A0 112cm by 77cm Materials used : paper, pencil. White Out, 8-hour performance, THE LAW, Live Arts Weekend, Defining Live Art Through Performance and Debate, Hull Time Based Arts, Ferens Art Gallery, Kingston upon Hull, UK, 2003. Photos: Reproduction by permission of the Hull Time Based Arts. Untitled, performance (duration unknown), Migration project, Kirkenes, Norway, 2003. White Out, 8-hour performance, Perfect Performance, Kulturhuset, Stockholm, Sweden, 2003. Photos: Robert Connolly. Kerava Art Museum, Finland, 2003. Without Space, 8-hour performance, MOPE 02 international performance festival, City Art Hall, Vaasa, Finland, 2002. Photo: Marcus Lerviks. Untitled 2003 Size A0 110cm by 80cm Materials used : paper. Untitled 2003 Size A0 112cm by 77cm Materials used : paper, pencil and iridescent white acrylic paint. White Out, 8-hour performance, La bas in Forum Box, Helsinki, Finland, 2002. Photos: Robert Connolly. Untitled 2003 Size A0 112cm by 77cm Materials used : paper, pencil and iridescent white acrylic paint. Falling 8-hour performance, Rovaniemi Art Museum, Finland, 2002. Photos: Keiko Morishita. Installation views, of Group art exhibition at Rovaniemi Art Museum, Finland 2002 Untitled, 8-hour performance, Kemi Art Museum, Finland 2001 Photos: Titta Court. Between Space 8 hours performance Muu art gallery, Helsinki, Finland, 2001. Between Space 8-hours performance Kemi Art Museum, Finland 2000. Photos: Markku Heikkila Untitled, 8-hour performance , Aine Art Museum, Tornio, Finland 1999. Photos: Markku Heikkila Installation views, of art exhibition at Creative space in Rovaniemi 1998 Untitled, performance (duration unknown), at Creative space in Rovaniemi 1998. Untitled, performance (duration unknown), Art of '96 - Transmutations International Festival of Live Art, Zap Art, Brighton, UK, 1996. Photographer unknown. Untitled, performance (duration unknown), Norwich School of Art and Design, Norwich, UK, 1996. Photos: Stephen Elmore. Untitled 1996 Size A0 112cm by 77cm Materials used : paper, pencil. Untitled, performance (duration unknown), Atom Gallery, Norwich, UK, 1996. Photo: Stephen Elmore. Performance for film 1996 Photo: Stephen Elmore. Unknown. Untitled, performance (duration unknown), Norwich School of Art and Design, Norwich, UK, 1995.