Julian Claxton
Julian Claxton studied in Manchester, London and Bristol. His work mainly appears on social media, particularly Instagram as @gbekkenwand, @pryddywyrd and @blu_rider
Current/forthcoming exhibitions include: ‘Are the Stones Standing Still’ curated by Dinosaur Kilby at Staffordshire Street, London and ‘El Jardín de Escultaras’, Portland, Dorset as part of the b-side Festival.
He had a solo exhibition, Black Camp, at Motorcade/FlashParade, Bristol (2012). Group exhibitions include Wäscheleine, Leintz , Austria (2021), Something Orange (2020), Skye 2, Spike Island (2017) Saga (Tamaran) (2016), Pandemic, Leeds (2013), Oriel Davies Open (2012) and Ways of Looking, Bradford (2011). His work has been covered in the Fortean Times. He was a Founder Director of Plan 9, Bristol and now co-runs Test Space and Test Space International.
Solo exhibition/performance
2018 - The tide comes in..., Ostia Antica, Rome, Italy
- The Temple of Ta'Hagrat, Mgarr, Malta (Valetta 2018)
2017 - Night Visions: Romance, Rebellion and the Rocky Road
- Malaga Nights
- The Pyramids of Guimar, Tenerife, Spain (Volkskammer)
2016 - Right on through to the other side, Stairwell Project, Spike Island, Bristol
2012 - Black Camp, Motorcade/Flashparade, Bristol
Recent Group exhibitions
2024 - El Jardín de Escultaras, Portland, Dorset, part of b-side Festival
2024 - Are the Stones Standing Still, (curated by Dinosaur Kilby) Staffordshire Street, London
2023 - Time and Place, Wells and Mendip Museum
2021 - Wäscheleine, Leintz, Austria
2020 - Something Orange, (Test Space online COVID show)
2020 - Beamer (bring your own batteries),
2018 - Manifesta 12, Sicily (with Test Space International)
2017 - Skye 2, Test Space, Spike Island, Bristol
2017 - Operation Skye, Test Space International and Volkskammer, North Skye, Scotland
2016 - Saga (Tamaran), El Castillo, Santa Brigida, Gran Canaria
2016 - Loft Projekte, Hotel Transit Loft, Berlin
2015 - Xerox Club, Brighton
2014 - Eccentricity, Museum in the Park, Stroud
2014 - Lost (as Gerard de Verre), Salisbury Arts Centre, Salisbury
2013 - Pandemic (as Creed Wall), Derby
2013 - Full of Empty, alldaybreakfast, Bristol
2012 - 290.25m3, Spike Pop Up, Spike Island, Bristol
2012 - Bristol Diving School, Curatorial Exercise No 1, Test Space, Spike Island, Bristol
2012 - Oriel Davies Open 2012, Oriel Davies, Newtown, Powys
2011 - Case Open, Bradford Festival of Photography, Bradford
2011 - Female Wales (as Kunte Howell-Ojidade), Millenium Centre, Cardiff
2010 - Kunte's Kwtch, 17 Great George Street, Bristol
Curatorial-Production projects
2024 El Jardín de Escultaras, (b-side Festival), Libby Bove’s Museum of Magic, (Priddy Folk Festival)
2022 Test Space Maritime Residencies on the Isle of Portland with Janie George, Matt Benton, Victoria Walters and Vera Boele- Kilmer
2021 Wäscheleine (Test Space and Volkskammer) with Martyn Cross, Harry Meadley, Olivia Parton, G Bekken Wand, Mark Samsworth, Helen Grant, Chloe Langlois, Matt Benton, Dinosaur Kilby, Thomas Goddard and Zanne Andrea.
2020 Something Orange, Beamer (bring your own batteries), Phil Frankland (Stainer)
2019 Gary Loughlin, Natasha McVoy, debris, Lisa Scantlebury, Why are we not here?, Matt Antoniak, Bo Lanyon, Unn Devik and Shannon Watson
2018 d/UMP, Art in Motion, Skulptur Parc, Polly Kelsall, Colin Higginson, TSI (Manifesta 12), RUNG, Olivia Jones, Test Space and Test Space International, Bristol
2017 Robert Foster, Benjamin Jones, May Day May Day, Stollen, Anton Goldenstein, African Queen, lewd jaw, Test Space, Bristol
2016 Katy Connor, Anne Deeming, Thomas Goddard, Andy Jackson, Slider, Test Space, Bristol
2015 Hayley Lock, Simon Hood, Harry Meadley, Test Space Open, Test Space, Bristol
2014 Sweatlodge, Test Space, Bristol (Zanne Andrea, Martyn Cross, Brendan Lancaster)
2014 Test Space Open, Spike Island, Bristol (20 artists selected following an open call)
2013 - StopAction, Test Space, Spike Island, Bristol (Rhys Coren, Alex Dipple, Hanz Hancock, Patrick Morrissey)
Residencies
2017 - Monte d'Accoddi, Sardinia, Italy
2016 - One Thousand Swimming Pools, Gran Baia, Albufeira, Portugal
2016 - Nice Rooftop Residency, Bvd Victor Hugo, Nice, France
2015 - CAAM (Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno) Territorio Okupado
2013 - Y Wladfa Luminosa, Museo de Etnografía de la Migración Gales, Gaiman, Chubut, Argentina
Interventions
2016 Axisweb Instagram Takeover (as the Mysterious Blue Rider)
Public commissions 2013 - Black Mountain Grappling Club, Museum of Mining and Migration, Javeafford West
Site specific 2012-2013 - Durational Performance Series , Creed Art Club, various sites in England, Wales, France, Spain and Italy