Joanna Byrne West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Byrne is a Leeds/Bradford-based artist filmmaker and writer who takes material, performative, collaborative and sustainable approaches to creating moving image. She works with analogue film in a tactile way - incorporating found footage, hand-manipulation and physical traces of her body into her work. She has a socially-engaged practice and collaboration with others is important.
I'm interested in how experimental, participatory film practices can be therapeutic and transformational: connecting us as individuals to each other, to communities, shared histories and stories, the wider world and Planet Earth. I am currently developing new sustainable processes for analogue filmmaking within my practice, with assistance from an a-n artist's bursary.
Current projects include: - Finalist: Scott Creative Arts Foundation Emerging Artist Award 2023: newly commissioned sculptural film work exhibiting in July 2023. - In Search of the Giant's Wife: Herstories of Rombald's Moor (artist's film and sculpture collaboration with Eve Miller). - Commissioned to produce the Martin Thomas Memorial Artwork by University of Leeds in 2023-24. - Artist's collaborative film commission with Lucy Bergman for SeaChange Festival, Isle of Tiree (supported by Screen Argyll) 2023-24.
My independent and collaborative films/performances have been presented at screenings, festivals and group exhibitions including: The Whitney Museum of American Art (NYC), National Portrait Gallery, Flatpack Festival, Edinburgh Art Festival, Chisenhale Gallery, Lo and Behold, Jerwood Gallery, Leeds International Film Festival, Whitstable Biennale, FACT, Berwick Film and Media Arts Festival, Exploding Cinema, The Arnolfini, Sheffield DocFest.
I write about art and cinema and am especially interested in experimental film practices, photo-collage and artist's texts. I regularly publish in the online art journals a-n and Corridor 8, and I have had artist’s texts, films and stills published in Millennium Film Journal (US), Found Footage Magazine (Spain) and SoAnyway (UK). My experimental text on the cult sci-fi film Spectres of the Spectrum (1999) is featured in the recently published book ‘Craig Baldwin: Avant to Live!’ This retrospective, a collaboration between Incite!: A Journal of Experimental Media and San Francisco Cinematheque is out now.
I have 15 years’ experience as an art educator, teaching creative filmmaking and writing in both formal and informal learning contexts: high profile galleries and museums, educational institutions, film/arts festivals, artist run spaces/studios and community settings. Partners have included: The Whitney Museum of American Art, Tate Britain, BFI Southbank, The Chisenhale Gallery, CCA, HOME, FACT, Abandon Normal Devices, Turner Contemporary Margate, Royal College of Art, The Whitworth Gallery, Sheffield DocFest, Leeds International Film Festival, Berwick Film and Media Arts Festival, Flatpack Festival, IKON, MAC, National Media Museum, Bedford Creative Arts, Leeds Lit Fest/Pavilion and the Hyde Park Picture House, the East Leeds Project/NHS.
Artwork
Untitled (SE139159) (2023), Analogue film collage housed in custom-made lightbox and animated artist's moving image, 2023
In Search of the Giant's Wife: Herstories of Rombald's Moor [Collaboration with Eve Miller] (2023), 16mm film and sculpture, 2023
Meeting Halfway (2022), Artist's moving image, 2022
tectum argenti (2022), 16mm film: digitised, 2022
Unprojectable (2021), 16mm film [transferred to digital video], 2021
Diane (wrapped in plastic) (2011/2021), Artist's moving image, 2011/2021
Screen Kiss (2007-2017), Artist's moving image: Expanded cinema performance, 2007-2017
Unravel NYC (2016), Artist's moving image, 2016
Projects and exhibitions
| Details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Martin Thomas Memorial Artwork01/05/2023 — ongoing Commissioned to create a memorial artwork for Martin Thomas, commemorating his life and research, in collaboration with staff and students at the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies at the University of Leeds, and different communities of practice in Leeds connected to Martin and his work. |
University of Leeds, Leeds | Details | |
|
Artist's Film Commission - Loose Screw Film Festival30/11/2022 — 04/12/2022 Commissioned to produce an artist's film dealing with themes of mental illness and health. The film I created was 'tectum argenti' - a moving meditation shot, hand processed and edited on 16mm film (see artworks section). The film was exhibited alongside the three other commissioned artist's films as an installation at the Art House Wakefield,... [Read more] |
The Art House, Wakefield | Details |
|
Unravel NYC01/12/2016 — 10/12/2016 Unravel residency at The Whitney Museum of American Art, for Dreamlands: Immersive Cinema and Art 1905-2016, curated by Chrissie Iles: We facilitated creative filmmaking with schools, community groups including LGBTQ+ young people and seniors, homeless youth, Whitney Teens, Whitney Members and families with young children. A collective... [Read more] |
The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York | Details |