contact details
email: j.buckley@rgu.ac.uk
tel: 00 44 (0)1224 263613

web site:
www.jimbuckley.co.uk
www.publicartonline.org.uk
www.creativescotland.org.uk
www.scottisharts.org.uk
www.publicartonline.org.uk
www.gwangju-biennale.org
www.undo.net
www.japantimes.co.jp
www.gbem2004.com
www.arttrail.ie

JIM BUCKLEY

Biographical Statement

Biographical Statement Jim Buckley studied Sculpture at Crawford School of Art, Cork, (1975-1981) and has taken part in exhibitions, residencies and commissions internationally since 1980. He has been commissioned by organisations as diverse as Art Connexion, Lille; Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin; Gwangju Biennale, Korea; Gifu Prefecture, Japan and The Highland Council, Scotland. Jim was a part-time lecturer at Glasgow School of Art from1983-88 and joined the staff at Grays in 1989. Since then he has held a number of posts and was appointed Reader in Fine Art in 2004. He received a Creative Scotland Award in 2003, to research major site-specific light-works internationally and to develop proposals for new work. Currently Jim is building on this research through new projects with Ideas in Public Space. He has served as External Examiner at the University of Plymouth, Highland College, Jersey, and Somerset College of Art and Technology (SCAT). Buckley was recently appointed chair of the Scottish Sculpture Workshop (SSW), is a board member of Peacock Visual Arts (PVA) and a member of the advisory group to Visual Arts and Galleries Association, Scotland (VAGA), VAGA International Research Enquiry (VIRE).



Image 1: ‘chameleon’ Gwangju Biennale, Korea 2004

Personal Statement

My research is focused around issues relating to placing art in public. What is its function? Who are the public? What are the roles and responsibilities of the artist in placing art in public? How to make public art relevant in the 21st century? My output is concentrated on investigating and employing methods of designing and integrating public art works which change and transform in response to environmental triggers such as weather, tides, wildlife and seasonal variations. A key driver in this approach is neutralising carbon footprint. These commissions have taken place within particular geographic and architectural contexts, involving not just buildings but also the surrounding environments and inhabitants. The projects often involve collaboration and more recently they are primarily with the research group Ideas in Public Space. ‘Knightlights‘ is a current project nearing completion (Spring 2011) commissioned by North Somerset Council through invited international shortlist and interview. At present I am working with Dr Donnie Ross, Grampian Hospitals Art Trust, Fiona J Gilbert, Professor of Radiology, Aberdeen and Marie Johnson, Professor of Health Psychology, Aberdeen University on a project titled ‘fMRI study of the effects of manipulating the visual environment in human subjects‘ (2010 onwards).






Image 2: Slinky Tower, Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital, 2003

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