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Humour has a large part to play in my practice too. The aesthetics of my practice are sometimes wacky and rather childish, in fact whole projects can seem very silly. It’s my aim to use humour as a tool for interaction and this approach can help in persuading people to get involved. There are underlying themes in all of my projects though that aims to make people think about how they act towards others. I’m a firm believer that art should be fun, for both me and the audience! I also look at how the dysfunctional decide to communicate, essentially celebrities. Celebrity culture has influenced a whole section of society to communicate through autographs and achievement. It’s not a case of “Hello, nice to see you” it’s a case of “I’m better than you, would you like my autograph?” My most ambitious project so far saw me send my own personal signed photo to 1000 celebrities to see how they would react to being treated as an equal, celebrities together. The way I act has become a keen interest and tool in investigating my concerns in society and these works appeal to my playful and cheeky nature. Remarkably I got over 250 replies from celebrities, ranging from simple generic autographs to personal letters and even a jumper (from Terry Wogan). I work in different media in different projects. Sometimes with performance art, sometimes with ephemera and even craft such as embroidery and watercolour painting. The main thrust of my practice is in galleries but I have also done commissions for off site events and mail art projects. I am a keen badge maker and give away a lot of work for free by handing it out in the streets or leaving badges on benches in specially limited edition envelopes. It is my aim to involve everyone, whether they are regular gallery visitors or not. Our language, conversations, interactions and even fights on a Friday night will always captivate me and make me want to create situations and I hope that the art that comes out of these reflections will make people think and also importantly, laugh.
David Garratt Tel: 07952318521 Education Nottingham Trent University 2002-2005 Chesterfield College 1999-2002 Solo Exhibitions ‘Oh, isn’t celebrity a terrible thing, thank God’ Group Exhibitions Extremal?s Amatai (Extreme Crafts) Future Focus – This Year’s Model The DOT Arena II – Sideshow (the fringe of British Art show 6 - Nottingham) ‘Art is a jealous mistress’ ‘Under construction’ ‘The Communion state’ PLAY ‘Robinsons Mill’
Publications/Press A Signature piece from David (By Ian Soutar) BBC Radio Sheffield Breakfast Show (Guest) Writings on the wall for Image and celebrity (By Martin Dawes) ‘Five Questions for…David Garratt (By Amanda Trickett) Daiktai Ir Dalykai, Kuriuos Galima Padaryti (Things to make and do) Future Focus ’06: This Year’s Model, The DOT ARENA II catalogue, Page 3 ‘Under construction’ ‘Hug a human’ (Interview with David Garratt) Awards Accepted on to the starter studio programme (for printmaking) at Yorkshire Artspace, Sheffield. September 2006 Selected as one of the best art graduates from the East Midlands (2005) by Q gallery, Derby. Commissioned to make new work for Future Focus ’06: This Year’s Model Awarded funding from North Derbyshire Arts and Education Authority to Project manage and exhibit in a show of new art graduates and past students at Chesterfield College. November 2005.
Miscellaneous Curator and project manager of ‘Art is a jealous mistress’ Exhibition Installer at Q ARTS, Derby Leader of teaching workshops Workshop Co-ordinator for PLAY at Nottingham Arts Theatre
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