Artist statement
Janie Nicoll is a Glasgow based Visual Artist who graduated with a first class Honours Degree in Drawing & Painting from Edinburgh College of Art, and the Watt Medal for Academic Distinction; a Post Graduate in Painting and the Master of Fine Art (MFA) from Glasgow School of Art. She has a studio based and socially engaged practice, often creating hybrid-works across a range of media using collage techniques and collaboration with other artists or communities. She has exhibited locally, nationally and internationally, and recently spent three years as President of Scottish Artists Union. She is currently a Trustee for Engage the National Organisation for Gallery Education.

Nicoll's work generally takes the form of site-specific installation using multiple digital images, which attempt to be visually engaging in a contentious or ambiguous way. She works with collage techniques, and digital photography to re-appropriate cultural references and signifiers within a process of translation, often creating an ironic dialogue with the viewer.  
Recent works have used what appears to be a low tech or homespun approach, to explore  imagery connected to the urban landscape, the machinations of society and notions of masculinity, rebellion, clannish-ness and fraternity. 

For news of  current and recent activities please click here.
To get in touch please send a message via the contact form. 

Janie Nicoll in her studio, South Block, Glasgow April 2014. Photo credit John Devlin.

Recent portrait photos in the studio by David Whitelaw, May 2014. 
http://www.davidwhitelaw.org

Photo credit Rob McDougall 2011.

Here's a picture of me performing at Open House Art Festival Fundraising Event at the Old Hairdressers, Glasgow, 16/01/14. A collaborative spoken word piece made in collaboration with the audience.

Photo credit Rob McDougall 2011

Artist Biog 

Janie Nicoll is a visual artist based in Glasgow. She originally trained in Painting at Edinburgh College of Art, gaining a first class honours degree and the Watt Medal for Academic Distinction from the Fine Art Department. After gaining a post graduate diploma at ECA she lived in Budapest, Hungary for a year on a British Council Scholarship, returning to Scotland and moving to Glasgow in 1991. She graduated from the Master of Fine Art course at Glasgow School of Art in 1997. 

She has exhibited widely both nationally and internationally, most recently in a solo exhibition 'Fools Gold', at the Briggait Project Spaces, Glasgow; 'Propellart' at East Street Arts, Leeds; 'Stories' at Wolverhampton Art Gallery; 'Streetland', Govanhill, Glasgow; 'Getting Up -Windows In the City', Inverness Old Town Art Project; ‘Rough Cut Nation’ Scottish National Portrait Gallery in ; ‘Heavy Influence’, Magazine 09 at Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop; Jamie Radcliffe Exhibition at SWG3; The Park Gallery, Falkirk; Magazine 07, ESW; the Embassy Gallery, Edinburgh; ‘The Consequence’ at Intermedia Gallery, CCA, Glasgow; the Deviant Arts Festival, Trollhättan, Sweden; Red Wire Gallery, Liverpool; Generator Projects, Dundee; Chapter Gallery, Cardiff; Lowsalt Gallery and EmergeD VSF Gallery, Glasgow; The Waygood Gallery, Newcastle; The Changing Room, Stirling; the Crawford Gallery, Cork and the Künstlerhaus, Dortmund, Germany amongst others. Her video works have been shown internationally including the Museum of Modern Art, New York. 
During 2008 she undertook a year-long SAC pARTners residency in Digital Media at Callendar House, Falkirk in collaboration with Alex Hetherington. Previous residencies have been at Self Help Graphics, Los Angeles, USA; Edinburgh Royal Infirmary Neonatal Unit; Yorkhill Hospital for Sick Kids, Glasgow; Chatelherault Country Park, Hamilton; Shining Cliff International Residency for My House Projects, Nottingham; and Generator Projects, Dundee.

She has collaborated with artist Alex Hetherington on a number of performances and curatorial projects including Sh[out] @ GOMA; The Consequence video screenings at Lowsalt Gallery, Glasgow, and Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop; ‘Deception/Reception’ at Bier Halle Republic, Glasgow; ‘House Lights’ at ESW; the TWINS Calendar Project; 'High Rise Cinema' an outdoor video screening; and music and performance events for Big In Falkirk. 

She has regularly written articles for a-n Magazine including exhibitions by Karla Black at Mary Mary; Jim Colquhoun "Widows"; Mark Neville at StreetLevel Photoworks and Renfrew Street Social Club at Lowsalt Gallery; "A Nation Turns Its Lonely Eyes To You" at Market Gallery; "Contra-flow" at Pentagon Business Centre.  She has attended various NAN networking events in Newcastle, Liverpool, Bristol, Cardiff and written about these for a-n Magazine, 'Inport/Export'.  Other articles include "Rules of Engagement", "Dialogue In Scotland",  "Artists Campaign In Scotland"; "What Do We-Think" Conference.

She has been an active contributor to the contemporary visual art scene in Scotland, giving talks and presentations at a variety of seminars and conferences and is Vice Chairperson of the SAU, Scottish Artists Union. She is currently a Special Interest Representation for Engage, the National Organisation for Gallery Education.  She has a WASP's studio at South Block (Studio 329), Trongate, Glasgow. Please see the CV page for a more comprehensive list of exhibitions and involvements.

Rough Mix Residency at Tramway, Glasgow 

Rough Mix Residency 
During March I was selected to take part in the Magnetic North Rough Mix Residency (RM2), at Tramway, Glasgow 11th -22nd March 2013. 


More information about my Rough Mix experience is here on my website and also at the Magnetic North website
Rough Mix Link

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Counterflows Residency April 2013

Photo credit Suzy Glass.

At the beginning of April I was asked to take part in the Counterflows Music Festival, Glasgow  in the form of a Collaborative Residency at CCA Creative Lab, with Berlin based artist Annette Krebs. Co-producing the residency was Suzy Glass of Triggerstuff and the Goethe Institute. 

We were interviewed for the Counterflows blog, which can be accessed through the website below After an intense week of discussion and collaboration we created a performance event. 
Documentation is available to listen to on Soundcloud

http://counterflows.com/

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Counterflows Residency, Annnette Krebs and Janie Nicoll, performance event 6th April 2013, CCA, Glasgow.

2012 Cultural highlights

2012 has been a fantastic year for me so I've made a list of the cultural highlights. 
I'd like to say a big thanks to everyone I have met, collaborated, interacted and worked with, and anyone else who I may have missed out! Also a big thankyou to my family and friends, whose support cannot be measured.

All the best for peace, love, understanding and more creativity in 2013!!

Creative Lab @CCA with Martin O’Connor, Douglas Morland and Rebecca Green; Anne Colvin: Protest & Propaganda Artists’ Lab @Metal, Liverpool with Simon Poulter, Nicki McCubbing, Laurence Payot, Sam Wiehl, Penny Whitehead and Daniel Simpkins; Django Django; Elisabetta Toreno; Record Store at Monorail Records, Glasgow  and Avalanche Records, Edinburgh with Alexander Violette; Amy Marletta;  Baldvin Ringsted;  Brian Hartley;  Chris Biddlecombe;  Darren Banks;  Douglas Morland;  Fiona Danskin;  Hrafnhildur Halldórsdóttir (Rafla);  Ian Smith;  Jim Colquhoun;  Jason Nelson;  Jim Lambie;  Jonnie Wilkes;  Karen Vaughan;  Kevin Hutcheson;  Kevin Reid;  Mike Inglis;  Nicola Atkinson (Nadfly);  Peter McGoldrick;  Richie Cumming;  Ronnie Heeps;  Ross Sinclair; Streetland Festival; the Poetry Club opening night with Jim Lambie & Richard Hell; Glasgow International, Jeremy Deller; 4 x 10Km races; Stag & Dagger; Borders Book Festival with David Frost, Tam Dalyell, Liz Lochhead, Mark Beaumont, Kirsty Wark, Charles Glass, James Naughtie, Rory Bremner, Jeremy Vine, Sally Magnusson amongst many others; Tim Rollins and KOS at Talbot Rice; Festival No. 6 backstage with Johnny W and Keith McI (Optimo), Debbie Goodge, Bobby Gillespie, Andy Weatherall, seeing Caitlin Moran, Primal Scream, Death In Vegas, New Order: W.A.G.E. event; SAU AGM; Rough Mix Retreat Residency with Nick Bone, Christine Devaney, Michael John McCarthy, Alan McKendrick, Linda McLean, Susan Benn; Jim Lambie at the Modern Inst.; Vic Goddard, Liz Lochhead, and Tam Dean Burn at The Poetry Club; Tramway World Cafe event; Monorail 10th Birthday Party, The Pastels.

Response to the Scotsman article...

Here'e my response to the recent Scotsman article that raised the issue of artist's poverty and which caused quite a response from the general public.. It is featured here... _
I posted this reply ... 

"I took part in this discussion because I believe that it is an important issue. I also realize that people don't understand what an artist like myself actually does to earn a living and that's why it is important for me to reply.

Being an artist is not a hobby, it is a full time job. I am a freelance self-employed visual artist i.e. a sole trader, and like anyone who is self employed I live from hand to mouth without a salary, security, stability or a pension to look forward to. I juggle short term, part time contracts that I come by often through open selection and interview, and sometimes by invitation. I undertake projects, residencies and commissions and work at my own practice, exhibiting and often creating my own opportunities.

I exhibit artworks that have been seen by many thousands of people (for free) in this country and abroad, some are contained in public collections, some in private. Like many artists it is rare for me to receive an exhibition fee for the display of my work. 

I also contribute directly to society, through socially engaged or participatory projects with many different sectors of the population, and I have made artworks for schools, hospitals, libraries, public parks, public spaces, in collaboration with school children, the elderly, the disabled, different types of vulnerable groups including people with mental health issues, and addictions. The answer, to the comments that I should get a real job and work with the elderly or the sick, is that I do. 

Local authorities, education departments, health boards employ artists because they value our work. They employ artists because they know that given the right circumstances (time, commitment, communication, understanding and most importantly trust), artists can engage people and communities impacting in ways that no other profession can. Ways that are often difficult to evaluate financially.

Most artists I know are hard working and resourceful - they are the opposite of scroungers. The bottom line is that very few artists are in it for the money. The idea that we want something for nothing is also flawed because artists actually do the opposite, they can make amazing things from very little, often with limited resources, using skill, ingenuity, being open to ideas, and willing to go the extra mile to make things happen. When given the chance, a small amount of investment can go a very long way. In Germany, the culture budget is set to rise by 8% as arts spending is not seen as a subsidy, but as "an essential investment in the future of our society". 

The recent galvanization of the Scottish creative community in response to the perceived mismanagement of Creative Scotland shows a strength of feeling and passion for creativity that clearly currently exists in Scotland and should be recognized as one of our strengths. It is something to be proud of, and something that I believe is worth fighting for."

Rough Mix 12/13

I was lucky to be selected to take part in the Rough Mix Creative Residency developed by Magnetic North Theatre Company (www.magneticnorth.org.uk/), at Lyth Arts Centre, near Wick 15th - 20th October. Rough Mix is a multi disciplinary creative development programme for practising artists, curated by Nicholas Bone.
The other artists involved were Linda McLean, playwright; Christine Devaney, dancer and choreographer; Michael John McCarthy, musician and composer (from the band Zoey Van Goey), Alan McKendrick, writer, director, playwright, and Susan Benn, founder of PAL, Performing Art Labs.

Borders Book Festival Artist in Residence, Melrose. June 2012

Harmony House, Melrose a National Trust property where I stayed for the week.

During June I was lucky enough to be selected as Artist in Residence for the Borders Book Festival, in Melrose. I spent a very interesting week, living in Harmony House watching the preparations for and then being involved in the Book Festival. I got to know all the staff and met many of the writers and speakers including Rory Bremner, James Naughtie, Jeremy Vine, Charles Glass, Kirsty Wark, Sally Magnusson, Mark Beaumont etc, etc... Do I sound like I'm name dropping?? My remit was to interact with the general public, and the speakers, writers and staff in order to  make some new artworks as a result. The intention is to exhibit these new works to coincide with next year's Borders Book Festival in June 2013. You can check out their website here.. http://www.bordersbookfestival.org/

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Record Store @ Avalanche Records, Edinburgh as part of Annuale 2012.

Castling Billboard for ESP @GI2012

Here's the image I created for the Castling Project for Eastside Projects, Birmingham on 29/04/12.
A different artist everyday creates a virtual billboard image in response to the previous day's image. Each artist has 24hours to make the image and each image is online for 24 hours. The entire collection of images will be showcased at the end of the project. 
Artists involved in the project are:  Sparrow & Castice, Beagles & Ramsay, Ross Hamilton Frew, Ortanondon, Kate Hanisch, Helen Brown, Lachlann Rattray, Sarah Messenger, Paul Newman, Elizabeth Rowe, Erica Eyres, Ernest Collective, Nita Walters, Janie Nicoll, Gavin Wade, Darren Banks, Tobias Hanisch, Anne Guest, Daniel Salisbury & Sophie Bancroft, Ellie Harrison, Gene George Earle and Jocelyn Villemont.

http://castlingbillboard.co.uk

Check out their blog at http://espatgi2012.tumblr.com/
http://eastsideprojects.org

4th -27th January 2012
Creative Lab Residency at CCA, Glasgow (Centre for Contemporary Art). This was a four week residency to enable a time to explore new ideas and working methods. I proposed to initiate discussions and collaborations with artists who make music, writers, performers, DJ’s and musicians, with the intention of exploring the concept of the remix, as it relates to current art practise and music production. you can follow my tweets about this and other stuff on Twitter @JanieNicoll I will be having a closing event at CCA on Thursday 26th January, 6-8pm. There is documentation of this event here.... If you are involved in music or are interested in getting involved in this discussion feel free to get in touch. There is a contact form here.

"Handle With Care Xmas Tree" Handle With Care tape on perspex.

December 2011
Check out my work on the AXIS Advent Calendar, I have the 2nd December slot,  which features the wall painting "All That Glitters Is Not Gold" from the exhibition 'Meddle With The Devil' at the Park Gallery, Falkirk from April/May 2008. It's nice to see this artwork given another airing!Also my festive Crimbo tree, as seen above, was featured on the showcase pages of December's Skinny Magazine. 
ARTWORKS for sale!I currently have artworks available to purchase on the Culture Label website, these include collage works, works on perspex, and the sculpture "Fake Gold Ring", also "Keeping The Faith" T-shirts and Bags. These works are available along with the works of several other artists from the Briggait- Stephanie Spindler, David Sherry, Helen Shaddock, Karen Vaughan, Jim Hamilton, Nicola Atkinson; whose work was on display at VAULT. Check them out here.  

Older news
November 2011
I will be exhibiting new works in the Briggait project spaces, Glasgow 4th - 26th November with an opening on Thursday 3rd November, 6-8pm. All welcome!

August 2011
I will be exhibiting and selling work at VAULT 2011 at the Briggait, Glasgow in September. More information to follow or check out their website at ... http://vaultartglasgow.com
The opening times of the Vault event will be as follows:

Friday 9th September 2011 - 11am - 9pm
Saturday 10th September 2011 - 11am - 9pm
Sunday 11th September 2011 - 12noon - 5pm


Dufftown Mortlach Story Walks Project
Here's a link to an article about the Dufftown Project I was involved in with children from Mortlach Primary School, Dufftown and writer Ken Cockburn. http://northings.com/2011/08/11/mortlach-story-walks/


May 2011
I'm pleased to announce I have been awarded a Creative Scotland Artistic Development Award for Visual Artists in preparation for an exhibition at the Briggait, Glasgow in November, and a Creative Lab at CCA, Glasgow in January... more news about these to follow..  

I have been working on a project with Care Leavers for the Glasgow Social Work Department making artworks for the inside of Charles Rennie Macintosh's earliest school building The Martyrs' School in Townhead. 

Watch out for my work which is to be featured in The Skinny Magazine (Skinny Showcase) in June, free and available in a cultural establishment in the Central Belt or online at The Skinny. 

March 2011
I am currently featured in The LIST magazine, in an article about my participation in the Streetland Art festival that takes place in Govanhill, Glasgow, 29th - 30th April, you can read the article here.

I am currently undertaking the Mortlach Walks Commission in Dufftown, with the children of Mortlach Primary School, making artworks for the town and in collaboration with poet and writer, Ken Cockburn as featured below. I have been keeping a blog about this project at 
A-N magazine artists blogs.
or at my own blog.

I will be one of the artists featured in the Govanhill Baths Auction, in aid of the Govanhill Baths, on Saturday 19th March, exact information here.

Also in the Govanhill area of Glasgow .... I will be participating in the 2011 Streetland Festival during the weekend of 30th April, more news nearer the time. 

I will be showing new installation works in the two Briggait Project Spaces, opening 28th October ... Plenty of time to get organised !

January 2011
I have been awarded a Creative Lab Residency 2011/12 by the CCA, (Centre For Contemporary Arts) Glasgow. This will be a month long residency based at CCA later in the year, more details to follow. 
Also I have been selected to undertake a new project in Dufftown in the Spring, for the Mortlach Walks Commission, with writer and poet Ken Cockburn. Ken has worked closely with Alec Findlay, (they created the Pocketbooks series). Again more info to follow.....

T-Shirts for Sale.
Janie Nicoll "Keeping The Faith" T-Shirts and bags are now available on this website where you can order them online here. They are also currently on sale at Welcome Home Gallery and Shop, 19 Keith Street, Glasgow, G11 6QQ. Welcome Home stocks a whole range of unique and hand crafted items and is well worth a visit, or check out their online store. 


Members shows agogo.........
I will be exhibiting banner works in two Artist-run Gallery Exhibitions both opening on Friday 21st January. 
Generator Projects Members Exhibition, in Dundee
PREVIEW FRI 21 JAN 7-9PM
21st January - 13th February 2011. 
Exhibition runs 22 JAN - 13 FEB 2011
Generator Projects
25-26 Mid Wynd Industrial Estate
Dundee
DD1 4JG      +44 (0) 1382 225982
EXHIBITION OPENING HOURS
THURSDAY - SUNDAY 12-5PM 
(or by appointment)

Also in Embassy Gallery Members Show, Edinburgh which opens on 21.01.11, 
Exhibition runs 22.01.11 - 06.02.11
EMBASSY,
2 Roxburgh pl,
Edinburgh,
EH8 9SU.

Check out these exhibitions for a huge range of interesting and cutting edge work from emerging artists!

December 2010

Nad Bax I will be selling some funky super exclusive limited edition Hand Screenprinted T-shirts at the What's New 60 Hour Shop in the Briggait, 21st - 23rd December. Come and check out some lovely arty gifts by a range of artists...  Meanwhile check out the flyer for this groovy Pop Up Shop here. 

@Censta Book Launch Video Documentary
There's a short video made about the DJ's at the Central Station Book Launch Party at the Sub Club on Friday 3rd December, with myself and Alex O'Neill, Jack McConchie (Button Up) and Harri (Subculture resident).  Watch it here on the Central Station website. The Central Station Book will be available from January, and features a range of images, projects, blogs, photos, and films  on Central Station Creative Hub from the past year.

November/ December
Pop Up PUPS...
I'll be selling work in this Pop Up Print Shop on Byres Road, Glasgow opening 25th Nov. http://bit.ly/dlAazV There will be a new shop in town for Christmas. PUPS is open for 8 days only and is a Pop Up Print Shop on Byres Road.
www.pupsart.weebly.com


November 2010
Propellart....
I will be showing new work in the exhibition Propellart, http://www.overyonder.org.uk/, 
at East Street Arts, Leeds opening Thursday 18th November, 6-8pm. http://www.union105.org.uk/
http://www.contentsmayvary.org/events.html. 
The artworks for this resulted from a recent one day Boatellier residency on a canal boat on the Rochdale Canal http://www.contentsmayvary.orghttp://boatelier.blogspot.com/Exhibition continues 22nd November - 9th December 2010 
Featuring artists-
Alice Bradshaw, Michael Burkitt, Edwyn Butler, Helen Collett, Myles Donaldson, Johanna Goetze, Chris Hurford, James Moffat, Kerry Morrison, Liz Murphy, Janie Nicoll, Rosanne Robertson, Richard Shields & Gabriel Stones