Alongside his individual art practice, Neil Ferguson is the founder of INCON with…events.
Neil Ferguson established INCON with… to explore what working collaboratively on events involves practically and theoretically.
information on INCON with… events is available at…https://neilferguson.wordpress.
neil.ferguson1955@gmail.com
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/ferguson_neil/
Born 1955, Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland.
1973-77 Studied Drawing & Painting at Edinburgh College of Art
1978-79 Post Graduate Fine Art, Goldsmiths’ College, London
1998-2000 MA by Project (With Distinction), at Sir John Cass School of Art, London Guildhall University
1996-97 Abbey Austin Award in Painting, British School at Rome
2015- Started INCON with… collaborations
Lectured at the Sir John CASS School of Art, London Metropolitan University, 2001 – 2015
Visiting Lecturer at Middlesex University, Edinburgh College of Art and Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee.
Artistic Interests
Structuring personal “art systems” that employ rules and strategies to track small thoughts and imagining. http://systemsart.org/artists.html
Neil Ferguson uses extensive series of images to display a versatility of thinking in image production to promote systems of making highlighting the “internal detail” in situations and objects. This serialising of projects allows an obsessive nature of capturing “almost nothings” and “wee thoughts” in promoting the activities of drawing, painting and placement in making art through “things.
Selected Solo Exhibitions
1986 Tom Allen Centre, London
1987 Windsor Arts Centre, Jersey Arts Centre
1988 39 Steps Gallery, London New Gallery
Camden Arts Centre, London
1989 “Changing Circumstances”, Seagate Gallery, Dundee
“The Role of the Spectator”, Stamford Arts Centre, Lincolnshire
1990 “Imposed Values”, Bedford Hill Gallery, London
1991 “Considering Work”, ADD, Greenwich, London
1994 SCULPTURE FOR REDUNDANT MEN No.6, Art Now, London
SCULPTURE FOR REDUNDANT MEN No.14 – Instant Film Format…and two red lights, Bedford Hill Gallery, Balham, London
1996 SCULPTURE FOR REDUNDANT MEN No.15 – Snippets…the paintings, London Guildhall University Gallery, London
1997 “Hollow Laughter 3”, Gallery, British School at Rome
2001 So Breathe…So Think…and…, Deptfordx, London
2002 So art it…, Deptfordx, London
2005 Imagine / Image II Fondazione Baruchello, Rome.
The IMAGINE/IMAGE project was hosted by the Fondazione Baruchello in Rome constituted the second stage of the IMAGINE/IMAGE project launched in 2003.
2007 16000 Paintings as a Sequence, Systems Art Symposium, Unit 6 London Metropolitan University, London
The exhibit formed part of the Systems Art symposium at the Whitechapel (Laboratory) to accompany the Art & Language , “Now They are Surrounded: Reconfigured” exhibition.
This extensive series of works was a continuation of previous large series of drawings.
http://systemsart.org/artists.html
2013 THOTS… 1,234 Drawings. Mile End Pavilion, London
2013 THOTS IN COLOUR, at Cre 8 Gallery, London, E9 5JH
Joint Exhibitions
1990 “Patterns of Intention”, Talbot Rice Gallery, Edinburgh (with Eve Thomson & Jim Mooney)
1992 “Infinite Forms”, Art Now, London
1997 The MOSTRA at the British School at Rome
2000 “RANK CHEESEBOARD”, Five Years, London (with Fergal Stapleton)http://www.fiveyears.org.uk/archive/archive_folder/shows/f_show.html
2008 Rules to Hold On To: Appropriating Appropriate appropriation, FIVE YEARS, Unit 66, Regents Studios, London E8 4QN http://www.fiveyears.org.uk/archive2/pages/025/pages/025.html
2009 YES. YES. I KNOW. FREE SCHOOL.I KNOW, FIVE YEARS, Unit 66, Regents Studios, LONDON E8 4QN http://www.fiveyears.org.uk/archive2/pages/044/pages/0441.html
2010 LECTURE HALL, FREE SCHOOL, FIVE YEARS, Bethnal Green Library, London E2 0HL http://www.fiveyears.org.uk/archive2/pages/064/ARTISTS/04.html
2012 “Exchange”, More Free School, with Five Years, Unit 66, Regent Studios, London E8 4QN
2013 October 2013, FIVE YEARS, UNIT 66, REGENT STUDIOS, LONDON E8 4QN http://www.fiveyears.org.uk/archive2/pages/178/This_Is_Not_Public_Part2/178-02.html
Selected Site Specific Actions, Installations & Activities
1992 LOOKING FOR SPECTATORS, 240 small paintings. A street installation in Lewisham High Street as part of the Lewisham Art Festival.
1992 The “PAINTER WORKER” Series, Greenwich, London
1993 “LOOKING FOR WORDS”, Greenwich, London
1993 “DECOUVERTE”, Greenwich, London
1993 SCULPTURE FOR REDUNDANT MEN
A Trilogy of Installation and Performance Pieces
No.1 Examination, April
No.2 Crossing, June
No.3 Held, September, Science Block, Brockley, London SE4
1994 SCULPTURE FOR REDUNDANT MEN No.2, The Agenda
SCULPTURE FOR REDUNDANT MEN No.3, The Greenhouse
SCULPTURE FOR REDUNDANT MEN No.4, The Room
SCULPTURE FOR REDUNDANT MEN No.5, “Like Being with Madonna…”
SCULPTURE FOR REDUNDANT MEN No.7, Four Wooden Blocks (photographs)
All at the Science Block, Brockley, London
1996 SCULPTURE FOR REDUNDANT MEN No.16 Shelved at (…),London, SE13
1996 SCULPTURE FOR REDUNDANT MEN No.16 Feet & Pants, at (…), London, SE 13
1996 SCULPTURE FOR REDUNDANT MEN No.17 On and Behind Toilet Doors,
at (…), London, SE1
1997 “HOLLOW LAUGHTER 1”, The Wilson Room, British School at Rome
“HOLLOW LAUGHTER 4”, Studio 4, British School at Rome
AMORI with Industrial BALLS, Studio 4, British School at Rome
SCULPTURE FOR REDUNDANT MEN No.19 Madonna and the 4th Dimension,
at (…),London SE13
1998 The “What a Laugh Series” at (…),London SE13
1999 The Advertising Collages at (…),London SE13
2010 “Ivy Road is an Artwork”. LondonSE4
Circles “Walk Down the Avenue”, Commercial Road, London.
2011 Free School 2, Five Years Gallery
Street Installation, “6” Deptford, London.
Selected Group Exhibitions
1977 “Seven Young Artists”, Talbot Rice Gallery, Edinburgh
1980 LONDON GROUP, South London Art Gallery
1982 LONDON GROUP, Camden Arts Centre and touring to Penrith Galleries, St.Ives
and the Gardner Centre for Arts, Brighton
1984 WHITECHAPEL OPEN
1984 “CELTIC VISION”, International Exhibition of Contemporary Art touring from Madrid to La Coruna, Cork, Glasgow, Cardiff, Llandudno, Jarrow, Cornwall and Nantes “The Red Lion Group”, Conway Hall, London
1985 Tom Allen Retrospective
“Out of Dereliction”, Woodlands Art Gallery, London
Diorama 1985, London
New Moon Studios at the Woodlands Art Gallery, London
“Starting A Collection”, Warwick Arts Trust, London
1986 “CELTIC VISION” Invitation Exhibition, Bank of Ireland Exhibition Centre,Dublin
Warwick Arts Trust Exhibition
1994 “MINIATURES”, The Agency, London
1997 The MOSTRA at the British School at Rome
1999 “Exposure”, Deptfordx, London
“A Promise of Happiness”, Five Years, Londonhttp://www.fiveyears.org.uk/archive/archive_folder/shows/f_show.html
What is a Gallery ?, Unit 3, London Guildhall University
2000 “Shoot For Art”, MA SUMMER SHOW, London Guildhall University
“STAR”, Five Years, Underwood Street. London
2001 The Difference Between You & Us, Five Years, Londonhttp://www.fiveyears.org.uk/archive/archive_folder/shows/f_show.html
2002 14×14, Curtain Gallery, London
2004 Vis-a- Vis, 291 Gallery, London
2007 Peer Esteem, FIVE YEARS,UNIT 66, REGENT STUDIOS, LONDON E8 4QN http://www.fiveyears.org.uk/archive2/pages/017/pages/017.html
2008 “Rules to Hold ON To: Appropriate Appropriation”, FIVE YEARS,UNIT 66,REGENT STUDIOS, LONDON E4QN http://www.fiveyears.org.uk/archive2/pages/025/pages/025.html
2009 INTERRUPTED CORRESPONDENCE? VICE VERSA: FIVE YEARS FRAGMENTS, James TAYLOR GALLERY, COLLENT ST, Londonhttp://www.fiveyears.org.uk/archive2/pages/053/pages/053-X.html
2010 SO MUCH FOR FREE SCHOOL,ETC. PUBLICATION/SEMINARS/DISCUSSIONS, IMAGES http://www.fiveyears.org.uk/archive2/pages/044/pages/0441.html
2014 365 Drawings 365 Dessins, Brock Keep, Reading
www.365drawings365dessins.co.uk
Videos and Films
1995 6 Walls, 6 People. (30 minute video with Peter Bromley)
2011 NEIL FERGUSON: A Feature Length Documentary,
Directed by Peter Bromley https://vimeo.com/76577241
2015 Circulating Air.
Film made with Matthew Vincent Townend
2019 Deux Hommes dans Rouen
Director & Camera Peter Bromley, Artist Neil Ferguson, Sound Peter Bromley, Editor Peter Bromley & Neil Ferguson
Colourist Justine Beckett, Producer Ranna McArdle, Assistant Alice Gunn
Production 1968 Film Group. A short documentary on the art literary works of Marcel Duchamp & Gustave Flaubert. Artist Neil Ferguson visits the homes, places of Duchamp & Flaubert to perform art actions. Filmed in London, Varengeville-sur-Mer and the City of Rouen.
Event Organiser/Curator
2004 Imagine/Image 1, One day symposium and exhibition of Italian artist, Gianfranco Baruchello. Unit 2 Gallery. Central House,London Metropolitan University.
Imagine / Image
The first stage of the collaborative IMAGINE/IMAGE project launched in 2003.
The collaboration would question the contemporary role of the image and imagination and looked to develop “conversations” through image, writing and wider practice.
The first part of the collaboration began with an exhibition, curated by Ferguson, of Baruchello drawings and videos followed by a symposium, with Baruchello in front of his artworks, supported by a booklet of writings on “Imagine/Image” containing contributions from Baruchello and Ferguson amongst others.
2005 Imagine/Image 2, Symposium, Fondazione Baruchello,Rome https://www.amazon.co.uk/Imagine-image-Baruchello-Foundation-Metropolitan/dp/1899764925/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1507902749&sr=1-1&keywords=Imagine%2FImage+2007
2008 Curator: Rules to Hold On To: Appropriarte Appropriation, FIVE YEARS, Unit 66, 6th Floor, Regent Studios, London E8 4QN.
Participants: Neil Ferguson, Anthony Griffin, Charles Harrowell, Matthew Vincent-Townend
2015 Founded IN CONVERSATION with…
2015 IN CONVERSATION with (1)…Neil Ferguson & Fred Vernon
2015 IN CONVERSATION with (2) … Neil Ferguson & Matt Vincent Townend. “Circulating Air”.
2016 IN CONVERSATION with (3) … Neil Ferguson & Lucy McGeown.
“Ivy Road is an Artwork”.
2016 IN CONVERSATION with (4)…Neil Ferguson, John T. Freeman, Hugh Gilmour, Irene Godfrey, Qing Qi.
“From Where YOU Sit”
2016 IN CONVERSATION with (5)… Epistographing
Neil Ferguson, Maciej Blazejewski & Fred Vernon
2016 IN CONVERSATION with (6)…Peter Bromley, Neil Ferguson & Matthew Vincent-Townend. “DuchampING”
2017 IN CONVERSATION with(7)…Neil Ferguson & Carol Wyss. “Beyond Controls”.
2017 IN CONVERSATION with(8)…a Play
2018 IN Conversation with…(9) Neil Ferguson & Gareth Jones
“Raw Rewards” Incidents from Dungeness
Raw INCIDENTS: decisions in an inhospitable environment.
3rd & 4th March 2018
2018 IN Conversation with…(10) Neil Ferguson & Drew Adams
DRAWINGS into INSTRUMENTS… into MUSIC… a TRANSFORMATION PROCESS … an interactive workshop.
2018 IN Conversation with(11)…can be wrong for the right reasons. Neil Ferguson, Maciej Blazejewski and Fredrix Vermin…
“We know what we are doing…but… we can be wrong for the right reasons.”
2018 INCON with(12 & 13)…Neil Ferguson & Karen Turner
THE Same but different “…
2 Different Events in 2 different venues
2019 IN CON with(14)…Neil Ferguson & Calum Storrie
TING FOR DOT
Friday 7th June AND Saturday 8th June, 2019
2019 INCON with(15)…Neil Ferguson & Amanda Francis,
230 Steps between…
4 & 5th October 2019
2020 INCON with(16)…
Neil Ferguson & Jenni Hodgson… conversation through painting.
…a painterly collaboration exploring freedoms and restrictions in an agreed system.
September 4th-6th 2020
INCON with(17)…”Public Hanging”
Neil Ferguson & Maciej Blazejewski
18th June & 19th June 2021
2021 INCON with…July 10, 2021
Pause Translation – Continue Translation
Neil Ferguson & Will Peck …unexpected occurrences.
Frid. 23rd July 5pm – 8.30pm, Sat. 24th July 4pm – 8pm, 2021
2022 INCON with(19)…
Neil Ferguson and Clare French
b aSI ca l ly Bauhaus
… a means of making us see…
Friday 13th May 6-8.30, Saturday 14th 3-6.00
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2022 IN Conversation with(20)… of 21, in 22…
Neil Ferguson & Fredrix Vermix
Doing Numbers…
with contributions from previous INCON with collaborators.
Friday 3rd and Saturday 4th June 2022, 2.30 – 6.00pm.
(The event forms part of the Brockley Max Festival 2022)
Numerals…First use of numbers…Zero..Negative numbers… Rational numbers…Irrational numbers…Transcendental numbers and reals… Infinity and infinitesimalsComplex numbers…Prime numbers…Main classification…Natural numbers…Integer…Rational numbers…Real numbers…Complex numbers…Subclasses of the integers…Even and odd numbers…Prime numbers…Other classes of integers…Subclasses of the complex numbers…Algebraic, irrational and transcendental numbers…Constructible numbers…Computable numbers…Extensions of the concept…p-adic numbers…Hypercomplex numbers…Transfinite numbers…Nonstandard numbers
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2023 INCON with(21)..
Stathis Dimitriadis and Neil Ferguson,“OBJECTIONS”……making PROTEST…
12 & 13 May 2023
“OBJECTIONS”…is a participatory event building narratives
of protest through objects and images.
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2023 INCON with(22)…Looking Down On…
Neil Ferguson and Irene Godfrey
6 & 7 October 2023.
Paintings displayed horizontally in the manner of their making.
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2024 INCON with…(23) POVERTY
Neil Ferguson and others.
Unlike previous INCON events, POVERTY is not a negotiated collaboration with another artist, but instead, paintings, words and a Sunday discussion.
17, 18 , 19 May 2024
Discussion. “What has POVERTY got to do with Art?”
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Books
“Imagine/Image”: Co-authors: Gianfranco Baruchello, Neil Ferguson, Linden Reilly, Chris Smith, Carla Subrizi.
The third stage of the IMAGINE/IMAGE collaboration project launched in 2003.
Baruchello Foundation and London Metropolitan University, 2007 (part of the Fondazione Baruchello FB collection, DeriveApprodi editions).ISBN 978-1-899764-92-1 111 pages. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Imagine-image-Baruchello-Foundation-Metropolitan/dp/1899764925/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1507902749&sr=1-1&keywords=Imagine%2FImage+2007
2010 Dolly Thompsett: Paintings: Interviewed by Neil Ferguson. Publisher:ArtSway,11/09/2010 ISBN: 9780955840692, 66 pages
Text Works
2001 So Breathe…So Think…and…, Deptfordx,London, 2001
2002 So art it…, Deptfordx,London.
2003 Considering Doing… a written contribution to symposium, What Work Does the Artwork Do? at Unit 2 Gallery,LondonMetropolitanUniversity,
2004 Image and Non-Sense, a written contribution to the Imagine/Image booklet for the Imagine/Image event and symposium with Gianfranco Baruchello atLondon Metropolitan University.
2009 INTERRUPTED CORRESPONDENCE? VICE VERSA: FIVE YEARS FRAGMENTS.
2010 SO MUCH FOR FREE SCHOOL,ETC.PUBLICATION/SEMINARS/DISCUSSIONS, IMAGES
2013 October 2013, FIVE YEARS,UNIT 66,REGENT STUDIOS, LONDON E8 4QN