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 Bangalore
  • "Performance in Motion - video works by Paul Holmes" at British Council GREAT SCOTLAND rally Mumbai

 

Membership of Professional Body

  • Institute of Physics (MINSTP)

 

Visiting Positions

  • Visiting lecturer La Universidad de la Comunicacion
  • Visiting lecturer, Zhongkai University
  • Visiting lecturer, Shanghai University of Engineering Science
  • Visiting lecturer Shanghai Film Art Academy
  • Visiting lecturer, Amity University, Kolkata
  • Visiting lecturer, North University of China
  • 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

The Persistence of Vision. In Ayrshire Open Studios

Exhibition / Performance
Holmes, P. The Persistence of Vision. In Ayrshire Open Studios. Exhibited at Ayr, Scotland. 26 April 2014 - 27 April 2014. (Unpublished)

)
Holmes, P. The Persistence of Vision. In Ayrshire Open Studios. Exhibited at Ayr, Scotland. 26 April 2014 - 27 April 2014. (Unpublished
This annual weekend showcase of artists throughout Ayrshire included video work "The Persistence of Vision". This section of the Open Studios was curated by the artist.

Time Machine [HD video]

Digital Artefact
Holmes, P. (2013)
Time Machine [HD video]. [Gallery exhibitions]
HD Video, shelf and polyurethane mesh. Black and white, silent. In this piece, the artist performs facial work-out exercises in big close-up and extreme slow-motion. The hi...

Time Machine. In The Hand that Feeds

Exhibition / Performance
Holmes, P. Time Machine. In The Hand that Feeds. Exhibited at One Cube or Two, Glasgow, Scotland. 13 December 2013 - 20 December 2013. (Unpublished)

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Holmes, P. Time Machine. In The Hand that Feeds. Exhibited at One Cube or Two, Glasgow, Scotland. 13 December 2013 - 20 December 2013. (Unpublished
This group exhibition featured video work "Time Machine". Curated by Robert Singer.

The Loop. In Nightcontact Festival

Exhibition / Performance
Holmes, P., & McMurdo, W. The Loop. In Nightcontact Festival. Exhibited at Gillett Square, London, UK. 27 September 2013 - 29 September 2013. (Unpublished)

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Holmes, P., & McMurdo, W. The Loop. In Nightcontact Festival. Exhibited at Gillett Square, London, UK. 27 September 2013 - 29 September 2013. (Unpublished
This film festival featured video work "The Loop", by Wendy McMurdo and Paul Holmes. Curated by Anna Stevens, Emily Graham, Tim Bowditch and Ollie Harrop.

The Loop. In Wendy McMurdo

Exhibition / Performance
Holmes, P., & McMurdo, W. The Loop. In Wendy McMurdo. Exhibited at Tin Shed, London, UK. 4 August 2013 - 22 March 2013. (Unpublished)

)
Holmes, P., & McMurdo, W. The Loop. In Wendy McMurdo. Exhibited at Tin Shed, London, UK. 4 August 2013 - 22 March 2013. (Unpublished
McMurdo's solo retrospective included video work "The Loop" by Wendy McMurdo and Paul Holmes Curated by Catherine Weir and Jonathan Munro.

Memory's Journey. In Burns Festival

Exhibition / Performance
Holmes, P. Memory's Journey. In Burns Festival. Exhibited at Bellisle Park, Ayr, Scotland. 24 May 2013 - 25 May 2013. (Unpublished)

)
Holmes, P. Memory's Journey. In Burns Festival. Exhibited at Bellisle Park, Ayr, Scotland. 24 May 2013 - 25 May 2013. (Unpublished
This annual festival commissioned and showed sound sculpture "Memory's Journey". Curated by Jackie Ross.

The Loop. In Reveal/Reset

Exhibition / Performance
Holmes, P., & McMurdo, W. The Loop. In Reveal/Reset. Exhibited at Inspace, Edinburgh, Scotland. 5 August 2009 - 5 September 2009. (Unpublished)

)
Holmes, P., & McMurdo, W. The Loop. In Reveal/Reset. Exhibited at Inspace, Edinburgh, Scotland. 5 August 2009 - 5 September 2009. (Unpublished
"The Loop" by Wendy McMurdo and Paul Holmes, showed as part of this group ALT-W show at the Edinburgh Art Festival. Curated by Mark Daniels

The Loop in Wendy McMurdo - The Skater

Exhibition / Performance
Holmes, P., & McMurdo, W. The Loop in Wendy McMurdo - The Skater. Exhibited at ffotogallery, Cardiff, Wales. 17 January 2009 - 1 March 2009. (Unpublished)

)
Holmes, P., & McMurdo, W. The Loop in Wendy McMurdo - The Skater. Exhibited at ffotogallery, Cardiff, Wales. 17 January 2009 - 1 March 2009. (Unpublished
Showed video work "The Loop", by Wendy McMurdo and Paul Holmes at McMurdo's solo exhibition.

The Loop [HD video]

Digital Artefact
Holmes, P., & McMurdo, W. (2009)
The Loop [HD video]. [Gallery exhibitions]
Two channel HD Video. Colour, silent. In this two-screen collaboration with artist-photographer Wendy McMurdo, a young girl on the right-hand screen appears to control the mo...