Paul Holmes
Paul Holmes

Paul Holmes MA, BSc (Hons), MInstP, FHEA, FRSA

Associate Professor

Biography

After completing a physics degree, I spent two decades as a director in film and television before redirecting my practice towards visual art.

I work with still and moving images, sound and light to harness and examine the gestures and actions of the human body, face and voice. I am interested in investigating the essential aesthetic properties of these media, and in developing new, non-narrative audio-visual grammars. I have exhibited in galleries and other spaces in the UK, continental Europe and across Asia, and have been invited to speak about my work in universities, conferences and public events around the world.

I joined Edinburgh Napier in 2006 as lecturer in film directing and subsequently ran three post-graduate courses in the moving image. At the same time I worked on and developed international collaborations with art colleges, film schools and universities around the world.

Over the years I have successfully raised hundreds of thousands of pounds of funding: for project development and production prior to my arrival at the University and for scholarly activities since then.

Since 2015 I have headed up international partnerships, collaborations and recruitment for the School of Arts and Creative Industries.

Research Areas

Esteem

Conference Organising Activity

  • Harnessing the Obsolete in Contemporary Art at Technology and Tradition conference, Futureworks, Manchester, UK
  • Self Portrait in the Form of a Geometric Net by Paul Holmes at Progressive Connexions: Storytelling and the Body, Lisbon, Portugal
  • "Figure Study in Light by Paul Holmes" at Progressive Connexions: Storytelling and the Body, Verona, Italy
  • "Storm Piece - a sound work by Paul Holmes" online In Media Res: Sound week
  • "One and Three Discs (After Kosuth)" at DHRA: Creative Legacies: Collaborative Practices for Digital Cultural Heritage, St James's Cavalier, Valetta, Malta
  • "Temporal Sculptures: Beyond Narrative in the Moving Image" at Troubling Time: An Expoloration of Temporality in the Arts, The University of Manchester, UK
  • "Gastric Tones: A Study in Sound" at Cumulus 2017, Shrishti Academy, Bangalore, India
  • "Uncovering Music through Silence: Outside the Box" by Paul Holmes at Azimuth Sound/Image, CCA, Glasgow, UK

 

External Examining/Validations

  • BA (Hons) Digital Film Production, University of Suffolk
  • MSc Emerging Media, Dublin City University
  • BA Film Production, University of Chichester
  • BA (Hons) Film Production, The Northern Film School.
  • BA (Hons) Filmmaking and Creative Media, University of the West of England.
  • BA (Hons) Media Production, Northumbria University.

 

Fellowships and Awards

  • Indian Council for Cultural Relations Senior Research Fellowship award for "Memory's Journey"
  • Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (FRSA).
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).

 

Invited Speaker

  • “Video Art as a Tool of Aesthetic Investigation” Keynote at the International Forum on Cross Media Art and Design, Shanghai, China
  • Video Art as a Sculptural Form: An Aesthetic Investigation Through Practice: FICUNAM International Film Festival
  • "Performance in Motion - video works by Paul Holmes" at British Council GREAT SCOTLAND rally Delhi
  • "Performance in Motion - video works by Paul Holmes" at British Council GREAT SCOTLAND rally Mumbai
  • "Performance in Motion - video works by Paul Holmes" at British Council GREAT SCOTLAND rally Bangalore

 

Membership of Professional Body

  • Institute of Physics (MINSTP)

 

Visiting Positions

  • Visiting lecturer, Shanghai University of Engineering Science
  • Visiting lecturer La Universidad de la Comunicacion
  • Visiting lecturer Shanghai Film Art Academy
  • Visiting lecturer, Zhongkai University
  • Visiting lecturer, North University of China
  • Visiting lecturer, Amity University, Kolkata
  • Visiting lecturer, Kala Bhavan
  • Visiting lecturer, University of Calcutta
  • Visiting tutor, National Film School of Ireland
  • Visiting tutor, Aalto
  • Visiting lecturer, Shanghai Normal University
  • Visiting lecturer, Amity University, Jaipur
  • Visiting tutor, Engage European film co-production lab

 

Date


49 results

Video Art as a Sculptural Form: An aesthetic investigation through practice

Presentation / Conference
Holmes, P. (2018, March)
Video Art as a Sculptural Form: An aesthetic investigation through practice. Presented at FICUNAM International Film Festival
The artist examines his practice from the past decade and the discoveries he has made about the sculptural nature of the form through his work. http://www.ficunam.unam.mx/9-d...

Gastric Tones. In Response Installations and New Media

Exhibition / Performance
Holmes, P. Gastric Tones. In Response Installations and New Media. Exhibited at Gem Cinema, Entally, Kolkata, India. 28 January 2018 - 28 February 2018. (Unpublished)

)
Holmes, P. Gastric Tones. In Response Installations and New Media. Exhibited at Gem Cinema, Entally, Kolkata, India. 28 January 2018 - 28 February 2018. (Unpublished
A group show as part of CIMA Gallery's 25 year celebrations, featured sound installation "Gastric Tones". Curated by Manas Acharya.

Various works. In Films by Paul Holmes (solo programme)

Exhibition / Performance
Holmes, P. Various works. In Films by Paul Holmes (solo programme)
Exhibited at Theatre for Experiments in New Technologies, Kolkata, India. 10 December 2017. (Unpublished
A retrospective programme of film works: "These Measures are for Your Protection", "The Persistence of Vision" and "Time Machine", screening as part of the Little Cinema Inter...

Gastric Tones [audio installation]

Digital Artefact
Holmes, P. (2017)
Gastric Tones [audio installation]. [Gallery exhibition]
Audio recording and acrylic speakers. In his previous sound works, Paul Holmes has captured and transformed recordings of the human voice; this is the first piece that makes ...

Gastric Tones: A Study in Sound

Presentation / Conference
Holmes, P. (2017, November)
Gastric Tones: A Study in Sound. Presented at Cumulus conference Bengaluru 2017 – Letters to the Future
In this sound installation, the artist plays back stomach noises recorded before and after a meal, at 1/100th of their normal speed. Douglas Gordon discovered hidden performa...

Storm Piece by Paul Holmes (solo show)

Exhibition / Performance
Holmes, P. Storm Piece by Paul Holmes (solo show)
Exhibited at Galleria Wagner, Ericeira, Portugal. 24 July 2017 - 6 August 2017. (Unpublished
A solo exhibition in Ericeira, Portuguese surf capital of Europe, featuring the wave and weather-themed sound installation, "Storm Piece"

Temporal Sculptures: Beyond Narrative in the Moving Image

Presentation / Conference
Holmes, P. (2017, June)
Temporal Sculptures: Beyond Narrative in the Moving Image. Paper presented at Troubling Time: An Exploration of Temporality in the Arts
Despite their growing presence in galleries, screen-based artworks present conceptual and theoretical challenges that have yet to be fully met (Mondloch, 2007). Extended film...

Storm Piece [audio installation]

Digital Artefact
Holmes, P. (2017)
Storm Piece [audio installation]. [Gallery exhibition]
20 channel voice recording. Audio speakers. The huge oceanic swells that hit the western European coast bring visitors from all over the world to experience the surfing. Th...

Ballygunge Phari and Storm Piece. In Life and Time: The Changing Landscape

Exhibition / Performance
Holmes, P. Ballygunge Phari and Storm Piece. In Life and Time: The Changing Landscape. Exhibited at Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata, India. 22 March 2017 - 29 March 2017. (Unpublished)

)
Holmes, P. Ballygunge Phari and Storm Piece. In Life and Time: The Changing Landscape. Exhibited at Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata, India. 22 March 2017 - 29 March 2017. (Unpublished
The annual show from the Chander Haat artists collective included a number of invited artists from around the world. The group exhibition featured the video "Ballygunge Pha...

Ballygunge Phari. In Shifting Narratives - a multidisciplinary art project

Exhibition / Performance
Holmes, P. Ballygunge Phari. In Shifting Narratives - a multidisciplinary art project. Exhibited at Gem Cinema, Entally, Kolkata, India. 4 February 2017 - 12 February 2017. (Unpublished)

)
Holmes, P. Ballygunge Phari. In Shifting Narratives - a multidisciplinary art project. Exhibited at Gem Cinema, Entally, Kolkata, India. 4 February 2017 - 12 February 2017. (Unpublished
An exhibition forming part of the Kolkata Art Festival, this group show of multimedia artists included video work "Ballygunge Phari". Curated by Manas Acharya