Dr Oliver Watts b. 1976

  • Artist (Video Artist) , (Mixed Media Artist) , (Painter)
  • Curator
Oliver Watts is a contemporary, mixed media artist. His chief concern is the nexus of art and law.
Name
Dr Oliver Watts
Birth date
1976
Gender
Male
Roles
  • Artist (Video Artist)
  • Artist (Mixed Media Artist)
  • Artist (Painter)
  • Curator
Residence
  • Sydney, NSW
Other Occupation
  • Lecturer
Active Period
  • 2000-
Languages
  • English
Training
  • PhD in Art History and Theory, Sydney University, Sydney, NSW
  • Bachelor of Arts and Law (Honours), Sydney University, Sydney, NSW
Is Indigenous
No

Oliver Watts is a contemporary Australian artist. He was born in Sydney, Australia, in 1976. Watts studied Arts and Law (Honours) at Sydney University. In 2010, he received his PhD in Art History and Theory from the University of Sydney. The title of his thesis is Images on the Limit of Law: Sovereignty, Modernism and the Effigy. As well being a founding member of The Chaser satirical team, Watts is also a director of Chalk Horse Gallery in Sydney. Watts works across a variety of media: performance, video, painting and collage. Watts’ chief concern is the nexus of art and law. His works are all guided by this question: how do images command? For Watts this implies that art should function in a subversive manner, challenging the very foundations upon which our society is founded. In a 2010 group exhibition, 'Triplicated’, Watts demonstrated how the law is both desirable and desirous. He revisited the Brothers Grimm fairy tale of the princess and a mythical sea-hare. Through videos and collage Watts has illustrated and obfuscated the story through a variety of methods from jokes to critical theory. In another body of work, 'The Barres Trial Series’, Watts looks closely at a Dada performance of 1921 which aped the law. In an obsessive replaying Watts translated Tristan Tzara’s testimony from French and then performed it. His collages were based on this very translation.Watts’ solo exhibitions include: 'The Golden Probe’ and 'Crimes Against Dada’ (Chalk Horse Gallery, Sydney); 'Three Suns’ (Helen Gory Gallery, Melbourne); 'Smoking Guns’ (Cat Street Gallery, Hong Kong); 'Frontier Photobooth’, (1/2 Doz. Festival); and 'Pioneers’ (MOP Projects). He has also exhibited in many group shows such as: 'Triplicated’ (Chalk Horse); 'Driftwood’ (MOP); and 'Hairbrush’ (Wren Gallery, Sydney).Watts has received a number of distinguished prizes. These include: Mosman Art Prize (Finalist), 2005-06; Helen Lempriere Traveling Scholarship (Finalist), 2005; Brett Whiteley Traveling Scholarship (Finalist), 2004-05. He presented to the annual conference of the As- sociation of Art Historians in Glasgow in 2010. He is a lecturer of Art Theory at University of New South Wales and Sydney University. His published works include Behind the Lines; Love, Life and Politics (National Museum of Australia catalogue); and Intelligence Failure (Chaser Annual: Text Media).

Writers:
Chalk Horse
Date written:
Last updated:
associate of
Tim Gregory
1981
Artist (Installation Artist), Artist (Video Artist), Artist (Performance Artist), Artist (Sculptor), Artist (Painter)
associate of
Fiona Katauskas
Artist (Cartoonist / Illustrator)
associate of
Jasper Knight
1978
Artist (Installation Artist), Artist (Sculptor), Artist (Painter)
associate of
Dr Dougal Phillips
Curator
associate of
Dr David Teh`
1977
Curator
associate of
Half Dozen
Curator
Founding Director of Half Dozen
associate of
Chalk Horse
Non-Artist/Designer/Curator
Founding Director of Chalk Horse
associate of
The Chaser
Non-Artist/Designer/Curator
Three Suns
2010
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Helen Gory Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
Triplicated
2010
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Chalk Horse Gallery, Sydney, NSW
Smoking Guns
2009
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Cat Street Gallery, Hong Kong
Crimes Against Dada
2008
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Chalk Horse Gallery, Sydney, NSW
The Green Zone
15 July 2006- 28 July 2006
Exhibition (curator of)
Palm House, Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, NSW
Curated by Dr Oliver Watts and Dr Dougal Phillips. The exhibition included new works by six Sydney artists, including Lucinda Chambers, Clemens Habicht, Brennan King, Sarah Linder, Michael Robson, and Alexander Seton. The exhibiting works all engaged in various ways with the surrounding Gardens and the Domain.
Frontier Photobooth
2005
Exhibition (exhibited at)
1/2 Doz. Festival
Driftwood
2004
Exhibition (exhibited at)
MOP Projects
Hairbrush
2003
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Gallery Wren
Pioneers
2003
Exhibition (exhibited at)
MOP Projects
Recognitions
Mosman Art Prize
2005
Award
Also 2006
Helen Lempriere Traveling Scholarship
2005
Award
Note: Finalist
Brett Whiteley Traveling Scholarship
2004
Award
Also 2005
Note: Finalist
Citations:
  • Chalk Horse Website