Jo Addison
In her process-orientated studio practice, Jo Addison tries to let my decisions be governed by the behaviour of materials, individually and in relation to one another.
Drawing on contemporary theories around objecthood and making, individual works assimilate the conditions in which they are made. During short studio sessions she works with components and materials that she keeps deliberately close to hand, in order to enable a responsive approach to the thing she is making. In work that is apparently casually and speedily made, the legacy of a repetitive and therefore paradoxically slow process is disclosed. With the goal of loosening familiar objects and motifs from their bearings in everyday life, she often remakes each sculpture numerous times, paring down to locate and condense its essence.
Jo enjoys the relationship between teaching and making and believes in working towards a more inclusive and dynamic learning environment for fine artists in higher education. In collaboration with artist and teacher Natasha Kidd, she explores how learning is manifested in form. Often working with their students to explore the challenges and opportunities that arise from teaching and learning about art practice, they are keen to relate to other disciplines when reflecting on their own. To date, this collaboration has resulted in the production of a number of significant educational resources, objects and events, participation in educational research groups, and contributions to books, national and international conferences and symposia.
Jo studied for a BA in Fine Art at Norfolk Institute of Art & Design, after which she spent some time living and working in Glasgow. Post-graduate study at the Slade brought her to London and she has been living and working here since. She is represented by Tintype Gallery, where as well as exhibiting her work she has curated projects including Work Work, a group show about the synthesis of teaching and making.
Jo is School Head of Department at Kingston School of Art, Kingston University, London.