Staff Profile
Nathan Walker
Course Lead Fine Art, Senior Lecturer in Performance, Moving Image and Installation
/prod01/yorksjacuk/media/content-assets/staff-profile-images/Nathan-Walker.jpg)
I'm an artist and writer whose practice spans performance art, video and poetry. I have presented work nationally and internationally making work that explores the use of the vocal-body in durational performance. My artistic practice is rooted in experimental language-based practices that are also realised as page-based and book length poetry. My book 'Condensations' (2017) was published with Uniformbooks and is an expanded visual-text for vocal performance following a residency at the Armitt Museum and Gallery in Ambleside, Cumbria. I have presented poetry in reading series and festivals nationally and exhibited poetry at the National Poetry Library, London.
Between 2009 and 2019 I co-founded and curated the arts organisation Oui Performance with artist Victoria Gray. Together we presented a series of performance art events in York, North Yorkshire programming over 50 artists to produce new performance works.
- School – School of the Arts
- Email – n.walker@yorksj.ac.uk
- Phone – 01904 876 977
- Research - View my work in RaY
- Postgraduate Research Supervisor
Further information
Teaching
I've taught at York St John for over ten years, teaching on practice-based modules in Fine Art and Photography and previously in the Performance dept. My specialisms include performance and time-based practices in moving image and installation, and the role of language (visual, verbal and textual) in artistic practice. I support students throughout all years to discover their practice through experimentation and critical reflection.
Research
My PhD considered the relationship between performance art and poetry. I'm currently writing about performance art that explores the voice and vocality. I've published works in books, journals and small press publications.
I am second supervisor to post-graduate research students.
Selected performances and exhibitions
- 2021 Interval 11, Paersche, Essen, Germany
- 2019 Research Pavillion, 58th Venice Biennale, as part of Research Pavillion
- 2018 State of Move, Helsinki
- 2018 Poetry Emergency, Manchester
- 2018 Poem Brut, Rich Mix, London
- 2018 Zarf Poetry Reading, Leeds
- 2017 North by North West Poetry Tour, Zimzalla, Enemies
- 2016 Storm & Golden Sky, Liverpool
- 2016 Gramaphone Raygun 1, Everyman Theatre Bistro, Liverpool
- 2016 English PEN Modern Literature Festival, Rich Mix, London
- 2016 Flare 2, Gallery North, Newcastle Upon Tyne
- 2016 Conceptual Poetics, Poetry Library, London
- 2015 Drafting, Baltic 39, Newcastle Upon Tyne
- 2015 The Enemies Project: Coratia, Rich Mix, London
- 2015 If P then Q Book Launch, Hardy Tree Gallery, London
- 2015 Word Work, &Model Gallery, Leeds
- 2014 Experimentica, Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff
- 2014 Shady Dealings with Language, Bökship, London
- 2014 The Other Room, Manchester
- 2013 In Conversation, Performance Space, London
- 2013 Duo Days w/ Victoria Gray, Catalyst Arts, Belfast, NI
- 2012 Performance Art, Grace Exhibition Space, New York, USA
- 2009 Spill Festival of Performance, National Theatre Studios, London
Peer-review chapters, journal articles and books
Walker, N. (2017) 'Action Score Generator', Journal of Writing in Creative Practice 9: 3, 2017, pp. 295 – 297
Walker, N. (2017) 'Write Knowing: On John Court', In John Court: An Idea of Performance a Idea of Art (2017) Finland, Frame Contemporary Art.
Walker, N. (2016) Condensations, Uniformagazine Issue 7, ISSN: 2056-6301
Walker, N. & Gray, V. (2015) Performance Art in the City of York, In Oui Performance Papers, Issue One, July 2015, Oui Performance Press, pp. 2 - 7.
Walker, N. & Gray, V. (2015) Oui Performance: Performance Art in the City of York. In Carmichael, Y. & Crouch, A. (2015) 'Unruly Utterances: Participation, Criticality and Compass Festival 2014', Live Art UK & Compass Live Art. pp. 31 - 33.
Walker, N. (2014). 'Permutation and randomness in the Action Score Generator', Journal of Writing in Creative Practice 7: 1, 2014, pp. 213–221.
Reason, Dorey-Richmond, Gray & Walker (2014). 'Making Performance within the Institution: Documentation, Reflection and Production', in Hidden Archives ed. Glen McGillivray. Amsterdam: Peter Lang. pp 149-171.
Walker, N. (2013). 'Transitional Materialities and the Performance of JavaScript', Performance Research Volume 18 (5), 2013, 'On Writing & Digital Media' London, Routledge.
Walker, N. (2013). 'FIVE: HARD SOFT DIRT WORD ADER', in RITE ed. Open Dialogues and New Work Network: London. pp 32-37.
Walker, N. (2011) 'The Edge of Writing: John Stezaker's 'Cinema 1 II'', In: Activate e-Journal Vol 1 Issue 1 2011 'On the Paper Floor: Exploring Writing Practices'. London, Roehampton University.
Walker & Stannage 'A Mountain Communion', Artists Pages In Performance Research 13:3, 2009, 'On Congregation', London, Routledge. 2009
Walker, N. (2017). Condensations. Uniformbooks, Devon. 88pp. ISBN 978 1-910010-14-3
Walker, N. (2014). Action Score Generator, Afterword by Dr. Mark Leahy. Published by If P Then Q Press, Manchester. 624pp. ISBN 978-0-9671827-6-9
Selected published poetry, scores for performance and writing
Walker, N. (2021) Jarg Magazine
Walker, N. (2021) Three Poems. Babel Tower Notice Board
Walker, N. (2020) Open Collar – Four Scores. In Tripwire Journal Vol. 16.
Walker, N. (2020) Swollen Tarn. In Queer Anthology of Wilderness, Pilot Press.
Walker, N. (2019) Back Hand – Scores and Video. In Blackbox Manifold Issue 23.
Walker, N. (2019) Vocal Salt. In Amberflora Issue 8.
Walker, N. (2019) Dark Navigation. In Datableed Issue 11.
Walker, N. (2019) Brooch Score. In Mantis Journal Issue 17, Stanford University.
Walker, N. (2018) Company. In The Queer Anthology of Rage, Pilot Press.
Walker, N. (2018) Stope & Feather. In Cumulus Journal Issue 2
Walker, N. (2018) Styan – Four Scores. In Uniformannual, Uniformbooks.
Walker, N. (2017) Fells & Rake. In Gorse Magazine Issue 9
Walker, N. (2017) Flax. In 3am Magazine, Poem Brut #12.
Walker, N. (2017) Ridge. In Alterity Journal Issue One
Walker, N. & McCabe, C. (2017) Waves. Contemporary Poetry Series Vol 1 No 4, Corbel Stone Press.
Walker, N. (2016) Scaw [video poem]. In Datableed Magazine Issue 2
Walker, N. (2015) Mean [audio]. Huellkurven Magazine Issue 4
Walker, N. (2014) Plots Check for Trojan Horse Spot (Artists Pages) The Blue Notebook: Journal for Artists’ Books, Volume 9 (1), University of the West of England
Walker, N. (2014) Kitchen Feet [audio]. Huellkurven Magazine Issue 2
Conference papers and invited talks
Walker, N. 'A collateral reading', presented at the Language-based practices research gathering, online 2020.
Walker, N. 'Heat points', presented at School of Art Institute, Chicago, Il. 2020.
Walker, N. 'Lilies under the tongue', 'Queering ritual', York St John University, York. 2017.
Walker N. 'On condensations', presented at Mountainsides: On Composition, artists talk at University of Leeds. 2017
Walker, N. 'Writing actions: durational writing in performance', Work, Performance Poetry, Northumbria University & Northern Charter, Newcastle Upon Tyne. 2015
Walker, N. 'Playing with chance: action score generator', invited talk and workshop at Kingston University, London. 2014
Walker, N. 'Pages as performing spaces', invited talk at Counter: Plymouth artists book fair, Plymouth Arts Centre. 2014
Walker, N. 'Writing actions' artists talk at l'Ecole Beaux Arts Nantes, France. 2014
Walker, N. 'Action score generator: permutation, performance & writing machines', delivered at Tapra 2014, Royal Holloway University of London. 2014
Walker & Gray. 'Yes performance (oui performance)', talk at School of Arts and Design, Nottingham Trent University. 2014
Walker, N. 'Six words short: textual instruction events', delivered at Modular Form Symposium, University of Roehampton, London. 2014
Walker, N. 'Sounding.js', international e-poetry festival, Kingston University, London. 2013
Walker, N. 'Transitional materiality in sounding.js', becoming nomad hybrid spaces, liquid architectures and online domains, Tapra performance and new technologies inter-conference event at York St John University, York, UK. 2013
Walker & Gray. Notes on apparitions and returning, Gray, V; Walker, N. delivered at Notes on a Return Symposium, Laing Gallery, Newcastle. Curated by Sophia Hao. 2009
Walker, N. 'Collages of Jack Pierson', delivered at Writing Encounters, York St John University, York, UK. 2009
