Dave Sherry | Bio 2025
Dave Sherry b. 1974, Northern Ireland. Lives in Glasgow. Lecturer at Edinburgh College of Art. My work includes performance, drawing, video, and sculpture. I am interested in making artworks that relate strongly to everyday life. Developing visual props and narratives for live work. I am influenced by social interaction and observing ordinary behavior. Many everyday interactions become a source for my work. Drawing and writing is an important starting point, incorporating different influences and experiences. I enjoy making live performances that give expression to my ideas and themes. Developing new possibilities for performance is a driving influence. My studio practice interests encompass: routines, pattern of social expectation, etiquette, humor in art / stand-up comedy, politics and environmentalism. Dave Sherry graduated with an MFA from Glasgow School of Art in 2000 and a BA in Fine Art from the University of Ulster Belfast in 1997. He will show with Videocity in Odessa at the Museum of Modern Art Ukraine, 2025. Rex Box Bern and Bern Art School, 2025. He will make a multi video project at the Fruitmarket Gallery in Edinburgh, Nov 2025. In 2024 he performed at P-ART-Y Kristiansand Norway, Performance Festival. Recent projects include a performances at The Old Hairdressers Glasgow, Voices in Buildings Edinburgh, Stereo Glasgow, The Revelator research symposium Glasgow, Art Night Dundee and a series of performances at IMMA Dublin, for IMMA outdoors, 2023. In 2022 he was commissioned by De Warande Belgium, to make a new performance film. In 2021 he was award a Climate Change Commission by Scene Stirling. In May 2020 he undertook a residency at Findhorn Bay Arts. Recent exhibitions at The Hilbert Raum Berlin and The Golden Thread Belfast for the Belfast International Festival 2019. Performance, Das Dritte Land, Kulturforum Berlin at the Korean Garden, 2019. Recent performances at : Art Late Edinburgh Art Festival, Platform Arts Glasgow for Outskirts, Look Again Festival in Aberdeen. In 2016 he showed at the Liverpool Biennial and Manifesta 11. De Player Rotterdam and Het Bos Antwerp 2017 Solo exhibitions at Outpost Norwich, Summerhall Edinburgh, Catalyst Arts Belfast; Villa Concordia Bamberg Germany, Glasgow Museum of Modern Art, Jack Hanley San Francisco 2005 and Tramway. Selected group exhibitions including ‘Generation’ at the Kelvingrove Glasgow, ‘RIFF’ Baltic 39 Newcastle, Film and video at BBC Scotland, ‘Grin and Bear It’ at the Lewis Glucksman Gallery, Cork and ‘One fine morning in May’ at GAK Bremen. In 2003, he was selected to represent Scotland at the 50th Venice Biennale and his work is held in many collections including the Glasgow Museum of Modern Art.
THE HALF SHOE PERFORMANCE SCRIPT<
Walking through the audience with a mic, performing the script.
Ok what is this?
Looking down at one of my shoes.
I take my shoe half off.
With my foot half in the shoe - half out of the shoe.
I walk up and down saying that the shoe is neither fully off, -
Or fully on.
Are we to value this now?
This is nothing?
Really?
Is this where we are with performance art now?
This is just a wee annoyance.
A man walking up and down with a shoe half on and half off.
A room of people intently watching him.
And outside, the world of Purposeful things goes on?
Its effecting my walk look? A staggered stride.
Is this staggered stride important?
And ‘i'm keeping a monologue going, Here?
Why no spaces for silence. Why, what can it mean?
I'm insecure? That’s the meaning of it.
If I was really confident I would slow down and leave great gaps in this monologue -
Comedians say comedy is in the silences…..
(I leave a silence ) Not so funny ea?
Schrodinger's thought experiment with the cat, ?
All the air is sucked out of a box with a cat in it.
And at one point all you know is that the cat is living and dead at the same time?
And that’s like this performance work ?
Its living and dead at the same time?
Its not good or bad.
Its ambiguous? It’s the acceptance of both and nothing?
It could be great?
If someone was to say its brilliant it is.
And the opposite.
But as of now its good and bad at the same time.
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NORWAY ZOOM >
On Sunday I zoom with Norway, we discuss a project in the summer, collaboration, improvisation, finding common ground. I explain my ideas and generally how I make work. What I have been doing. Older works and projects and the live work. I have been making a kind of stand-up comedy performance act for about 15 years now. It doesn’t have to be funny but I like to try out lots of ideas one after another, thinking about what it could mean. I like to be efficient. They say my one-man band is a kind of power? I think this through and I’m no so sure? Yes No? What bubbles up, they want me to collaborate. I want to collaborate. Meet someone - people in Kristiansand and make something. Maybe dancers and actors, and from the energy of a new meeting a new work will be created. Pelle tells me that the energy in my performance videos happen when other people are involved and you see the connection. That’s cool. The project and location sounds amazing. Something to look forward to, there’s a fee and budget. It’s a job. I have a job to do and this is the build-up. It sounds like a fun project they will make a colosseum and people will have a kind of art performance fight?
How this will work? It’s a week-long project, you should write this all down, the creative process in action. I say.
‘It’s a big project David’ he screams and points into the screen, laughing.
He is laughing a big generous laugh. Its infectious.
Are you watching the game today, David?
I realise he’s joking - just in time and say yes yes both of them? The big games yes on the weekend.
Totally. All around the world.
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WRITERS MYTHOLOGY >
Murakami only works in the morning. Goes running in the afternoon.
But writes loads of long books?
Really?
I think that’s made up? He doesn’t ever run anywhere or work only in the morning.
I thought he only worked in the morning?
No, that’s a made up story to promote his persona, he works all boring day?
Really?
Yes. He gets up at a normal hour, drinks coffees, checks the papers on line and does some work. That’s it, really that’s it, he works every day.
But not in the morning?
No, he’s like all the other writers, he’s boring. It’s boring.
That’s such a shame that he’s so boring.
Working the same as everyone else.
I think we should go back to the more interesting story?
Sorry, let’s get back to the PR story:
It’s far more interesting.
He just works in the morning and runs in the afternoon and listens to jazz every night of the year?
Really that’s cool and pretty interesting.
I feel happy about this.
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PSYCHOLOGY OF BISCUITS>
Whats your favourite biscuit?
Digestive, plain, dark chocolate. Bricks and Mortar. Anchor points. Identity. Nausea.
Ginger Nut. Work on your confidence. Reaffirmation. Substance Main theme-Idiot.
Pink wafer. God is in the house. Reverence. Asbestos food. Curious.
Malted milk. Live a balanced life. Do your best but don’t kill yourself, for no one – Fuck it.
Custard Cream. Memories of boredom. Nostalgia power. Antiquated let down.
Viscount. Hidden genius, I’m a genius. Fucking genius again. Vanishing point?
Kit-Kat. Capitalist bulldozer machinery, careerist, production, sales panic. All in one basket.
Nice. be nice to be nice. Am I on the way down or Way up?
United. In my youth. Do people like me? Am I trying to make people like me? Am I disingenuous?
Taxi. Don’t overdo it. Be polite remember. Who have I pissed off?
Blue ribbon, what the blink. I’m a loser? Is this meaningless, anxiety mixed with general malaise.
Fig roll. Mountain hiker regular. I’m on a roll - I’m lucky. Can sleep in a tent or train.
Hob nob. Heading over to the youth club for the basketball night. Pretends to not mind.
Gold. Heavy shit. Respect! Subversive.
Garibaldi. Never often enough. On the level, I actively seek out boredom.
Shortbread. Workhorse. Core of it all, expandable themes.
Oreos. The king is dead long live the king.
Jaffa Cakes. Half time, two for one. - I’m in my prime. I can do anything arrogance that’s my name?
Chocolate digestive. Whole hog, self control, Nauseating. Routine of the same.
Leibniz. Impostor euro love the – suffocating narcissistic- conceptual artist.
Rich tea. The physics of all biscuits. No shame - Think what you like? You think what you like>
Foxes crunch creams. No time for reflection, fill in the timetable. Progressive, Purposeful Usefulness.
Bourbon. Corner stone. When did the delusion begin at what point?
Viennese whirl. Decadent folly. Fantasist.
Florentine. You will never know the whole story. So don’t even try.
Maryland Cookie. Good old dixie. Life happens. Impostor syndrome.
Chocolate finger. Biscuits on speed, influencer. All over everything. Complete control.
Viennese sandwich. Ego self-obsessive. But a central hollowness, a lack of achievement, lingers.
Empire Biscuit. Political heavy weight - all ways having the last word. Better references.
Almond biscuit. Vulnerable. I mean sorry about me. Unworthy. Obsessive compulsive.
Brandy snaps. Big mental signal. Chaos, drama, starting big projects never to commit.
Jacobs club orange and mint. Multiple personality who’s turning up -ordinariness. Charismatic?
Biscotti.dental cover. Denial.
Caramel shortbread. Elephant in the room. – What’s not said, under the carpet! What carpet?
Short cake, should always be in clingfilm. Approaches to freshness? Why? Insecurities.
Polo, coconut. - Polyfilla the house this weekend – Health alerts. Who’s in charge?
Chocolate rice cake. Pulling everything into the dilemma. Scared shitless power. Anxiety.
Water biscuit. Death is waiting for us all. The game is playing me I am not playing the game!
Oat cake. Up a mountain in your living room, am I getting old? I'll take the bike.
Flapjack. Hiking the city. Am I getting unfit? Breakdown Manifestations of age paranoia.
Kimberly maca do. Bouncy castle broken face. All my ideas are being stolen, Genius syndrome.
Snow ball. Beware of what you wish for. Crack the exterior, crumbles to goo, disintegration chaos.
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