University of Liverpool
Dr Marion Leonard, Reader and Director of Research in the Department of Music, University of Liverpool; Professor Deryn Rees-Jones, Department of English, University of Liverpool; Helen Legg, Director, Tate Liverpool; and Tamar Hemmes, Curator, Exhibitions and Display, Tate Liverpool
October 2024 –
Through this collaborative doctorate, Nick will focus on the work of Adrian Henri, the Liverpool-based poet and painter who played a pioneering role in bringing happenings to Britain. Henri’s poetry made significant cultural impact through the publication of the groundbreaking anthology The Mersey Sound (1967), showcasing his work together with Roger McGough and Brian Patten. Performance was key to Henri’s practice and he collaborated with musicians across different fields of music. This doctoral project seeks to contextualise and develop new insights into Henri’s practice, with particular focus on his development of happenings in the United Kingdom. A key focus will be around how this area of Henri’s practice, situated in the 1960s, can be presented in a contemporary context.
The chance to work with the Tate alongside the University of Liverpool is something I can’t wait to begin. This is amplified by the fact that I can now develop research into an artist whose artistic values I strongly identify with. Having the space and resources to really dig into how Henri’s performance work can be effectively contextualised in a society that has ‘moved on’ since the 1960s feels like a rare opportunity. I am looking forward to seeing how Henri’s DIY ethos toward direct audience engagement and his loyalty to a sense of place can be communicated and put into practice in a situation now saturated with digital distraction.
Nick Davies
About Nick Davies
Nick Davies (born in 1985, St Asaph) is an artist and curator based in Rhyl, North Wales. He often makes artworks to try and make sense of the world with a belief that art can help level the playing field, if only for a moment.
Usually driven by concepts, Nick’s output takes on differing forms such as sculpting using Tipp-Ex and documenting whitewashed empty shop windows across the United Kingdom. He mostly practices alone but also works with other artists and creatives on curated and published work through Loophole Projects.
Website nickdaviesworks.co.uk
Instagram @nickdaviesworks
Loophole Projects