Ned James & the Swifts

Working as a fictional collective in collaboration with multiple artists the work of Ned James & the Swifts uses a methodology of art autopoiesis. That is, autopoiesis meaning 'self-making' or; art about art about art is another way to describe the work. Current work examines the relationship between artist and gallery, Ned James & the Swifts are represented by Division of Labour (DoL) and the main focus of the work is the blurring of creative actions and authorship. Collaborative performances often involve employing Nathaniel Pitt (Director DoL) to act out performances following Short Message Service text instructions. Historically this idea revokes ideas of early 20th century Avant Guarde practice, like the artist Moholy-Nagy and his Telephone Paintings, where he phoned up a Berlin signwriters and organised 'Konstruktion's' to be made over the phone.

Ned James lives and works in Hereford and Worcestershire, the troop leader is a self confessed gambling addict and supports many of his projects through short gains and occasional ‘lucky streaks.�?Ned James & the Swifts are influenced, among others, by John Heartfield and by extension Bob & Roberta Smith, Jonathan Swift, George Orwell, Mark Wallinger and Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Selected Works & Texts

2013 Meta Roisin Byrne
2013 The Ned James Festival of Women's Werk / Celine Berger/Celine Condorelli/Sophie Hope/Jenny Richards/Sally O'Reilly/Carey Young/Pilvi Takala/Monika Stricker
2013 Polemic text for Sluice Art Fair / presentation included work by Sam Curtis, Celine Berger and Jeremy Hutchison
2013 Summer Fete - Ceri Hand Gallery - curated by Hannah Pierce and Ceri Hand / Performance by Megan, Charlotte, Angela, Nathaniel - Pitt
2012 Reception - Meter Room, Coventry - curated by Daniel Pryde-Jarman / exhibition included works by Antonio Muntadas and Saulius Leonavicius
2012 Entrepreneur - The Manchester Contemporary, Spinningfields Manchester / exhibition included works by Candice Jacobs, Saulius Leonavicius and Sam Curtis
2012 Black Flags of Croft - Meadow Arts - Time will Tell, Herefordshire - performed by Nathaniel Pitt
2012 Happy Hypocrite / Bookworks, The Showroom London, performance interview 'An Interview with a Real Hero' by Jess Thom and Nathaniel Pitt
2012 FLAGworks - Vilnius, Lithuania, 'Yahoo Results' performed by Nathaniel Pitt
2012 'No Word of a Lie' - Worcester Racecourse and show at Division of Labour, Nathaniel Pitt, Angela Pitt, Robert Davies, Hilary Jack And Martina Vermorel
2011 A collaborative project with Saulius Leonavicius - '220lt' / ArtVilnius11' Vilnius, Lithuania
2011 Picket group Show - 'And Another One' - performed by Siân Davis and Suz Winspear at PITT projects
2010 'A Modest Proposal' commissioned as a part of The Endless Supply 14. Edited by Ruth Claxton / Sean O'Keeffe
2010 Meadow Arts Live Art Day at Croft, Herefordshire - 'Journey IV' performance by Nathaniel Pitt
2010 'Artist Extraordinary Rendition I.' performed by Nathaniel Pitt at Annex21
2010 'The Raven' performed by Nathaniel Pitt at Annex21
2010 'The New NEW Collosus', text for Various Artist
2010 'The Email' (in progress)
2010 'Carry on Cutting' - Text for The Endless Toast by Nathaniel Pitt
2010 CAS / Worcester City Gallery artist talk, 'The Slug and Lettuce' - performed by Nathaniel Pitt